THREE Priestley students visited Facebook’s London HQ and met industry experts during a trip to the city.

Elliot McKenzie, Dylan Waters and Elliot Grey made it through to the finals of the Apps for Good competition with their concept Sweg Messenger.

During their time in London they were guided around Facebook’s office and saw its staff sleeping pods, sweet shop and talked to staff.

They also visited the offices of Unruly, the leading global platform for social video marketing.

The main purpose of their visit, though, was to present their idea for an app to the judges in a competition designed to celebrate the next generation of problem solvers and digital creators.

They also pitched their idea for more than an hour to countless industry figures, which was a highlight of the trip for former Lymm High pupil Elliot Grey.

“We made the pitch to about 250 people from the industry so it was a pretty fantastic experience,” he said.

“All these people seemed interested in our app and liked our presentation skills.”

The Apps for Good judges were leading names from TalkTalk, Ogilvyone and another who had helped develop Spotify.

Priestley ICT tutor Tom Heaton said: “You couldn’t buy this exposure. The Apps for Good course has encouraged our students to explore technology as a tool for improving and benefitting society as a whole.

“The course enables us to bring a creative learning programme to college that unlocks the confidence and talents of our students.”

Although they didn’t win the competition, which was staged at the Barbican in London, the Priestley team received genuine interest from several app developers and some sound advice.

Sweg Messenger was shortlisted in the Connected Communities Category and is designed to provide a unique and fun way to chat with friends.

Elliot McKenzie, a former Birchwood High pupil who studies IT and the Extended Project at Priestley, said: “We’ve loved the chance to take part in the Apps for Good because it has allowed us to develop not only our computing skills, but job skills such as teamwork, problem solving and independence.”

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You will be able to sign up for enrichment classes from tomorrow (September 16).

Information for both general and active enrichments will be sent out via personal tutors this week. You will then be able to sign up to all classes via student Quay – on any computer in college or at home.

Additional information on classes will also be sent out via personal tutors today and further information on class times later this morning via email. You can find additional flyers / posters stating class times and course information in social areas and LRC.

For all those students wanting to take part in the college choir – the audition for Breathe will take place TODAY at 4pm in the Drama Studio.

Application forms for Engineering Scheme and DofE can be collected from Student Services from tomorrow. Students interested in these courses can register their interest via student quay but will be subject to application form completion.

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See Priestley College, meet tutors and students during this drop-in session. It’s a great opportunity to get a feel for Priestley and more details about the course and enrichment opportunities that are on offer.

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See Priestley College, meet tutors and students during this drop-in session. It’s a great opportunity to get a feel for Priestley and more details about the course and enrichment opportunities that are on offer.

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Dates for our open events have been set. The first ones are on October 22 and 23 from 5.30 to 8pm.

See Priestley College, meet tutors and students during this drop-in session. It’s a great opportunity to get a feel for Priestley and more details about the course and enrichment opportunities that are on offer.

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SCIENTISTS of the future visited the place where the World Wide Web was invented and where the Higgs Boson particle was discovered.

Students from Priestley College headed to CERN in Switzerland where they were taken underground to see the detector that gathered some of the data that helped reveal the particle.

Among them was Jack Rookes, from Garwood Close in Westbrook, who also spent a week during his summer holidays working at the Daresbury Laboratory.

“When you get to CERN it is just immense,” said Jack, who is 17. “It is so inspiring to see how all those people have come together and what they have achieved.”

Physicists and engineers at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, are probing the fundamental structure of the universe.

They use the world’s largest and most complex scientific instruments to study the basic constituents of matter – the fundamental particles.

The particles are made to collide together at close to the speed of light, which gives the physicists clues about how the particles interact, and provides insights into the fundamental laws of nature.

Priestley College’s 16 young scientists were lucky on the day of their visit that the collider wasn’t operating so they were able to get a closer look.

“It was exceptional access and a once-in-a-lifetime experience for these students,” said Deb Pressage, Head of Science at Priestley.

“It was inspirational to visit a place that has enjoyed a role in such major scientific discoveries that have either changed our lives or our understanding of the world in which we live.”

Jack, who is studying A Levels in Physics, Maths and Further Maths as well as the Extended Project, also spent a week at Daresbury Laboratory after setting up some work experience during the summer.

He spent time using their 3D printer technology and with nuclear physicists as he broadened his knowledge ahead of a career in science.

“I want to work in science because there are always going to be new things to discover,” he said.

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STUDENTS and staff have received some expert advice on how to safely cycle to Priestley College.

Warrington Borough Council’s Travel Warrington team set up shop outside the college’s Crescent Building alongside Doctor Bike who provides affordable cycle maintenance in Warrington. Together they offered free bike checks, route advice, skills training and safety equipment.

“We were at Priestley at the start of the new term to support and encourage staff and students who cycle to college,” said a spokesman for the travel team.

“It was particularly important at this time of year as the days grow shorter and the college management was extremely supportive of our efforts.”

Travel Warrington’s goal is to encourage people to get to work and education in sustainable and healthy ways.

In May 2012 the council was awarded £4.65million from the government’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF), and the team is funded from this money.

The purpose of the funding was to support the local economy through promoting greater use of sustainable and low carbon transport.

Priestley College supplies bike racks and lockers for students and staff who cycle in. It also supports those who travel into college by bus.

To find out more about the different ways to travel, how you can save money, get fit and healthy and help the environment go to www.warrington.gov.uk/travelwarrington

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STUDENTS have spelt out why they chose to study languages at Priestley College.

Georgia Worswick, who came to Priestley from The Grange School, studies French, Spanish, Philosophy and Sociology.

She enjoys learning languages as well as gaining understanding of different cultures and hopes to pursue a career related to languages.

“I prefer college to high school because there is a lovely atmosphere, especially in the languages department,” said Georgia.

“You feel a lot more relaxed in your lessons and teachers are always there to help. Not only do we have our lessons during the week but we also get a 30-minute slot in our timetable dedicated to speaking with a native speaker with brings on your confidence for perhaps future encounters with people of different languages.”

It is a similar story for Hannah Fortune who is studying Spanish, Maths, Economics and Chemistry after leaving Birchwood Community High School.

Hannah said she chose Priestley because of the wide range of courses on offer as well as the impression she took from students and teachers during open events.

“I chose to take AS Spanish as I enjoy the course at GCSE and I am interested in travelling and being able to speak well in a language I love,” she said.

“Regarding the future I personally believe that knowing a language will help me with any career ambitions as it stands out on a CV. I also enjoy the half an hour weekly oral lessons which are improving my confidence with Spanish and I am interested in travelling to Spain and testing my skills soon.”

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SIXTY Priestley College students debated world issues at a model UN Conference on Wednesday.

They were joined by peers from Ashton Sixth Form College to argue on behalf of their nominated countries about matters such as the Russia / Ukraine conflict, Palestine and religious freedoms.

“It was an excellent opportunity for the students to be stretched and challenged by debating some heavyweight issues,” said Senior Tutor Mark Salmon.

Students representing the nations of Jamaica and the Republic of Korea won the overall debates as most effective country.

Michael Moran, formerly of Cardinal Newman Catholic High School, Reece Moore, formerly of The Grange, and Duncan Cathie, a former pupil at Golborne High School, were honoured for most effective lobbying.

First years Aoife Goldsmith and Holly Roach won awards for most persuasive speaking in the debates. James Ross was commended for his work as a representative of the Republic of Korea.

Former Priestley student Charlie Brittlebank, who is now studying English at King’s College London, returned to college to chair the General Assembly part of the conference which was organised by Priestley’s Director of Student Services Fran Evans.

Those who took part included members of Priestley’s Graduate course, which is designed to prepare students for places at Oxford, Cambridge and the Russell Group universities.

In March they will be attending a national UN Conference in Birmingham when they will put their debating skills to the test against other colleges from across the UK.

“It is a great opportunity to pit their wits and debating skills against others and I am sure they will be motivated to continue these discussions away from the conference,” said Mark.

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ALAN Sugar may only hire one apprentice at a time, but nearly 200 Priestley College students have secured work since finishing their studies.

Among the 2014 cohort – who left Priestley in summer – are dozens of young people who achieved apprenticeships at major companies including the NHS, AMEC Nuclear, the BBC, Airbus, Monarch Airlines, Barclays, Lloyds, BAE and Widnes Vikings.

They have started their working lives as trainee dental nurses, rugby players, teaching assistants, engineers, electricians, care home assistants and accountants. Several have gone travelling while the vast majority – nearly 650 – have gone on to further education both at home and abroad.

“At a time when there is still concern about youth unemployment we take great pride in the number of former students who have found apprenticeships and jobs,” said Matthew Grant, Deputy Principal of Priestley College.

“A lot of these jobs and placements have been achieved through the sheer hard work of students and also the strong links that Priestley enjoys with businesses in Warrington and Halton.

“It is vital that young people are prepared for life either at university or in the workplace and I believe this shows Priestley does achieve both for its students.”

Former students have secured a diverse range of jobs including accounts assistant, builders, business administrators, care assistants, chefs, climbing instructors, personal trainers and one is a gymnastics coach.

One is training to become a Royal Marine, another a logistics officer with the RAF while a third is a trainee officer with the Royal Navy.

While 94 have stayed at Priestley to continue their studies, one is now on a football scholarship in Mississippi while two more are studying at a theatre school in Barcelona.

More than 500 are at universities – including Oxford, Cambridge, Lancaster, Durham, Warwick and Aberdeen – studying everything from Neuropsychology to adult nursing, International Business to Russian, Zoology and Counselling.

“These are all success stories involving young people from Warrington and Halton,” said Matthew Grant.

“In a time when there is a still a lot worry in the national economy it is great to hear about so many former students who have gone on to do well for themselves.”

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A NATIONAL bank has challenged Priestley College students to demonstrate their app-titude for technology.

Barclays has asked a team of BTEC IT students to come up with a solution to one scenario from a list of five.

The first years are now working on an idea for a fun and informative app to teach children more about money.

“This will be something that is really good to put on their CV and is a great opportunity to work on a brief set by a company like Barclays,” said Tutor Karen Morris.

A mentor from the bank – Josh Bedson – is working with the students as part of the Barclays Tech Innovation competition.

The judges are looking for an idea, and even a prototype, as well as a business plan. Students have been asked to be creative and have fun.

The competition is open to schools and colleges across the north west and the teams with the best ideas will be asked to give their five-minute pitch to the panel at Radbroke Hall in Knutsford.

The winner of the competition will receive Amazon vouchers and will be offered a day of work at Barclays.

“We are using some lesson time for this, but the students are also putting in extra hours to work with their mentor,” said Karen Morris.

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LABOUR’S shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt remarked on the ‘extensive’ provision at Priestley College during a visit to Warrington last week.

Mr Hunt heaped praise on the college for its range of facilities which enables the institution to offer a range of subjects to students in the town.

For the full story, courtesy of the Warrington Guardian, go to > http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/11568254.Shadow_education_minister_full_of_praise_for_Priestley_College/

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PRIESTLEY College has opened a technology centre that will improve the education of thousands of young people.

The £1.5million development – which will be known as the Lewis Carroll Building – will house more than 200 computers and be home to Priestley’s computing and ICT courses.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Principal Mike Southworth said the new facility was befitting of the education Priestley provided.

“I think it’s great news for Warrington that our town’s young people now have access to cutting edge facilities that will enhance their learning and acquisition of skills including those in science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” he said.

“Not only does this improve their own life chances but it will also contribute to the economic and social prosperity of our town and indeed beyond.”

The opening ceremony on Wednesday was attended by councillors, representatives from the University of Salford and Barclays Bank as well as governors, tutors and students.

Guest of Honour Dr David Whan, a trustee of the New Engineering Foundation, spoke of the significance of opening such a building at a college named after renowned scientist Joseph Priestley.

After meeting students and having a tour of the college he said the centre would be a great asset to Priestley.

“Joseph Priestley was a remarkable man and this is a college that is fit to bear his name,” he said.

Overall, there has been £14 million spent over the past eight years to create an environment that brings out the best in students.

Last year Priestley became the first dedicated sixth form college in the country to receive STEM assured status – making it one of the UK’s top education providers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Mike Southworth said the Lewis Carroll Building would provide a great environment in which to learn.

“I’m privileged to be in my 13th year as Principal here at Priestley and without doubt today represents a very important milestone in the development of our college,” he said.

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PRIESTLEY students cycled a combined 480 miles to raise money for two children’s hospitals.

The 16 young people set off from The Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and cycled to Alder Hey in Liverpool along the Liverpool-East Lancashire Road.

They hope to raise £500 for an RAF appeal that will see presents delivered to the wards this Christmas.

“We were looking for ways to raise the money and thought this was a good way to involve both the hospitals,” said Amy Davies, a former pupil at Wade Deacon High School.

All those taking part are on the Public Services BTEC course at Priestley College and will be hoping to match last year’s total of £1,500 when their fundraising efforts are completed.

They have until December to hit their target when they hand over the money to the RAF who will then buy the presents for the poorly children.

Priestley students will then wrap hundreds of presents before an RAF helicopter carrying Father Christmas lands at the college to collect the gifts and deliver them to the hospitals.

“We saw what the students did last year and found that very inspiring so we are hoping to do as well – if not better – this year,” said Lauren Jones, a former pupil of The Heath.

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Oliver Lister with Adam Caris and Professor John Gowlett

A PROFESSOR took students back in time during a lecture at Priestley College.

Professor John Gowlett, from Liverpool University, spoke to A Level Archaeology students about important milestones in human evolution.

“It was a good opportunity for them to hear from such an eminent expert in the field of evolutionary anthropology,” said Priestley Tutor Oliver Lister.

“What really excited the students was that it became clear there is still so much to discover.”

Professor Gowlett is a member of the British Association for the Advancement of Science and the Prehistoric Society.

He was at Priestley as part of the Festival of Social Science, which aims to show how social science research influences our social, economic and political lives.

Using artefacts such as primitive stone hand-axes to bring his talk to life, Professor Gowlett explained how the human brain has developed over millions of years.

Together with PhD student Adam Caris he explained how people mastered fire and the difference it made to their lives.

“They covered topics we wouldn’t normally touch on in college and it was great for the students to hear it from a researcher’s point of view,” said Oliver.

For more on studying Archaeology at Priestley go to http://bit.ly/1ERcCv3

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Paralympian Sarah Storey with the Knowledge Express

PRIESTLEY has launched a drive to inspire young people in Warrington to achieve great things.

A bus that carries its students from Helsby to Warrington has been wrapped with the faces of high achievers and inspirational characters.

Deputy Principal Matthew Grant said he hoped it would act as a constant reminder to its students and everyone in Warrington to aim high.

“We are firm believers at Priestley that with hard work and a positive attitude anyone can reach their full potential,” he said.

“The people we have chosen to appear on the Knowledge Express have inspired generations and we hope they will continue to do so in Warrington.”

Athlete Sarah Storey – who has won 11 Paralympic gold medals – turned the key in the ignition to the bus on Thursday (November 13) and was joined by Ian Howard from Springfield who run the service.

Her face represents the world of sport alongside greats from the worlds of science, technology, music, art and literature.

Sarah, who also has 24 World Championship titles, said: “I was honoured to be asked to be the face of sport on Priestley’s bus, but it is surreal to see it alongside these other well-known names.

“I hope the Knowledge Express achieves its goal to inspire others to reach their full potential.”

The Knowledge Express will mainly be used on the route from Helsby to Warrington, but could also make appearances along roads between Culcheth, Winwick, Newton-le-Willows and Widnes.

Staring out at passers-by will be the late Steve Jobs, inspirational leader of Apple, as well as Albert Einstein whose theory of relativity changed science forever.

Shakespeare has a seat on the bus, his words still entertain audiences hundreds of years after his death as do those of Oscar Wilde who ‘sits’ next to him.

Also along for the ride is Van Gough who had a far-reaching influence on 20^th century art.

Student President and College Governor Ben Craven said: “A lot of us will see these faces every day on the way to college and it is a reminder of what can be achieved with dedication and making the most of your talent.”

Ian, from Springfield Bus Company, said: “We now provide the best network of education bus services in the borough, covering four routes which carries hundreds of students a day from within Warrington and beyond.

“This wrapped bus is a proud testament to the success of the partnership between the college and Springfield.”

* Thanks to Karen Hewis for supplying the picture of Sarah Storey which has been used on the bus.

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TWO actors from the UK Touring Theatre shared some stage secrets with students at Priestley College.

Adam Redmayne and Felicity Rhys ran a workshop with 25 of Priestley’s English Language and Literature students based on Henrik Ibsen’s play ‘A Doll’s House’.

“It was a great opportunity for the students to work with talented actors who have such a good understanding of the text,” said Tutor Clare Marshall.

“It helped the students gain a better understanding of the play in performance as well as work on some of the key themes such as aspects of characterisation, understanding the context.”

UK Touring Theatre is an international touring theatre company, founded in 2012 by Adam and Felicity, who together have over 25 years of experience working in the theatre.

It specialises in producing exciting new English language adaptations of classic European plays; touring to theatres across the UK, Europe and beyond. All their actors have trained at the foremost drama schools in the UK and their high quality productions bring the best of British theatre to venues across the world.

During their time at Priestley, Adam and Felicity ran practical drama activities before the students staged mini-performance based on ‘A Doll’s House’.

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Aaron Hill

WARRINGTON has one of the fastest swim teams in the country after a stunning performance by Priestley College’s swimmers.

Competing in the national finals of the English Schools’ Swimming Association championships Priestley’s male medley team finished seventh.

Head of Sport Nigel Howells said it was an incredible achievement for the swimmers who were competing in the London Olympic Park pool.

“It was a great experience for our students who were inspired to be in the Olympic pool,” he said.

“To finish seventh when we were competing against the country’s strongest swimming academies and other colleges is something to be very proud of.”

Ten students represented Priestley College at the Olympic Park with one female and two male teams competing against the top 20 performers in the country.

“It was a fantastic achievement just to have qualified as regional champions,” said Nigel. “There’s some real quality in our swim team and they performed incredibly well in the competition.”

Priestley made it through to the relay finals thanks to impressive team performances in the regional qualifiers held at Everton Park in October. The boys won the freestyle event and finished second in the medley with the girls matching that medley achievement.

Priestley has entered the swimmers into several big competitions to help improve their times whilst most of the squad compete with the Warriors of Warrington.

“We all train together so have been able to push each other on and that has really helped,” said Josh Radin, who is studying A Level PE, History and BTEC Certificate in Sport at Priestley.

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TWO friends have raised awareness about road safety after one of their pals was in a collision with a car.

Sophie Crisp and Kelsey Gray, both formerly of The Heath but who now study at Priestley College in Warrington, were inspired to come up with a campaign after their friend lost her memory following the incident.

“It was horrible to see her like that and she couldn’t remember who we were,” said Kelsey, who studies Health and Social Care, Photography and Children’s Play, Learning and Development.

“We wanted to do something to raise awareness and try to make sure a similar thing doesn’t happen again.”

Sophie and Kelsey volunteered to complete a four-week programme with the National Citizen Service during their summer holidays including a two-week residential. The service is open to all 16 and 17-year-olds and is designed to help them build skills for work and life.

It was during this time their friend was involved in the incident and they were inspired to create a radio advert that was broadcast during National Road Safety Week.

Their advert – which was supported by Halton Borough Council and charity vInspired – began with two friends talking before the screech of a car and a bang are heard.

Sophie, who studies Health and Social Care, Photography and Creative Writing at Priestley, said: “We are really pleased with how the advert turned out and thankful to everyone who helped us to put it together.”

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Congratulations to adult learner Margaret Isherwood who is 96 and has just received an MBE and a wink from Prince William.

Margaret, who started learning new skills through Priestley College’s adult learning courses 11 years ago, was honoured for her services to adult learning.

Read the full story at the Warrington Guardian > http://bit.ly/1vW7zZz

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