(24 Apr 2014, 11:24 am)aureolin wrote That's shocking. We had similar issues when I went to college over 10 years ago. Lecturers coming and going, no lesson plans, vague knowledge of the course they were teaching (excuse was usually that it was a new course), and work not being marked. We ended up going to see the Principal in numbers and it got sorted out like.

tried the head of the college, he was to busy to see us.. probables being rolling around in his money or sharping his pencils... haha

(24 Apr 2014, 11:27 am)Michael wrote tried the head of the college, he was to busy to see us.. probables being rolling around in his money or sharping his pencils... haha

Don't let him fob you off. If yous go in numbers and make it clear that you'll remain there until you're seen to, or alternatively given an appointment, you'll sharp get to see him.

(24 Apr 2014, 11:28 am)aureolin wrote Don't let him fob you off. If yous go in numbers and make it clear that you'll remain there until you're seen to, or alternatively given an appointment, you'll sharp get to see him.

we did, 3 times, not bothered, if nothing is sorted for the 2nd year, its gonna go further

(24 Apr 2014, 11:27 am)Michael wrote tried the head of the college, he was to busy to see us.. probables being rolling around in his money or sharping his pencils... haha

That really is a shocking way to deal with your problems, I have been lucky in the college courses I took that I had good teachers...I even had a teacher who is now semi-famous, should not really name drop, but Charlotte was the best teacher I could have ever asked for

(24 Apr 2014, 11:30 am)Michael wrote we did, 3 times, not bothered, if nothing is sorted for the 2nd year, its gonna go further

Is there a NUS representative there?

It isn't too long ago, that there were mass redundancies of frontline and backroom staff at Usworth.
It looks like there are issues and an undercurrent, that is affecting those who are the most important - the students.

(24 Apr 2014, 11:49 am)Andreos Constantopolous wrote Is there a NUS representative there?

It isn't too long ago, that there were mass redundancies of frontline and backroom staff at Usworth.
It looks like there are issues and an undercurrent, that is affecting those who are the most important - the students.

All the Redundancies happened just after I left in the Summer of 2012, Basically if you didn't get sack, you got moved to a Different College in the Sunderland Area. All the Tutors I had in my 2nd/3rd Year moved over to Bede or Hylton College.

What was daft about it was, the fact they all got replaced by staff who were at Shiney Row College, from what I was told when I went back in to get some Maths Revison for a Test I had for Job I applied for at the time.

It would seem after 2 Years that there is still a lot of Problems with City of Sunderland as a whole, what those problem are I don't know, but take a guess and say it was to do with Money and/or Government Funding.

(24 Apr 2014, 1:58 pm)NEBCD Malarkey wrote All the Redundancies happened just after I left in the Summer of 2012, Basically if you didn't get sack, you got moved to a Different College in the Sunderland Area. All the Tutors I had in my 2nd/3rd Year moved over to Bede or Hylton College.

What was daft about it was, the fact they all got replaced by staff who were at Shiney Row College, from what I was told when I went back in to get some Maths Revison for a Test I had for Job I applied for at the time.

It would seem after 2 Years that there is still a lot of Problems with City of Sunderland as a whole, what those problem are I don't know, but take a guess and say it was to do with Money and/or Government Funding.

There were big cuts in 2009 too, with all of the sites affected, including Usworth.

There have been funding cuts, but the finance and budget depts, should be able to forecast and plan for these events.

However, if sickness levels are high, then moral is obviously low and management need to resolve it.

If they don't, then Ofsted will have a field day and the downward spiral will continue.

Doesnt help they want to shut hylton college down and replace ot with a new one in the city centre....

Needs to be sorted quickly as out because numbers will drop

(24 Apr 2014, 3:03 pm)Michael wrote Needs to be sorted quickly as out because numbers will drop

Numbers may drop slightly, but I imagine the college will plodding-on as school-leavers will always be cajoled into pursuing further education at colleges - especially if they're tired of the rigidities that schools invariably bring.

Unless Sunderland College don't offer a specific course, then I'd presume that most school-leavers (or prospective students) will attend the institution most local to them for the sake of convenience (and, to lesser extent, overall costs including travel etc.) without considering other factors such as the quality of teaching or overall satisfaction ratings. The proximity of other institutions also offers choice. For example, if living in Gateshead or Newcastle, you have the option of either Newcastle or Gateshead Colleges as they are situated near one another. I'm guessing that in Sunderland this is not the case - meaning that there's only one real local option available to people living within the city, Sunderland College.

(24 Apr 2014, 2:51 pm)Andreos Constantopolous wrote There were big cuts in 2009 too, with all of the sites affected, including Usworth.

There have been funding cuts, but the finance and budget depts, should be able to forecast and plan for these events.

However, if sickness levels are high, then moral is obviously low and management need to resolve it.

If they don't, then Ofsted will have a field day and the downward spiral will continue.

They've always had a huge morale problem from what I've heard. The constant restructuring internally won't help matters either.

I do notice that they constantly seem to get really high results though?

(24 Apr 2014, 6:10 pm)aureolin wrote They've always had a huge morale problem from what I've heard. The constant restructuring internally won't help matters either.

I do notice that they constantly seem to get really high results though?

The success rates are improving according to their last ofsted report, but isn't fantastic.
Their ofsted gradings seem to have dropped too.

Looking at the last one in 2010, they should be due another inspection soon.

(24 Apr 2014, 6:32 pm)Andreos Constantopolous wrote The success rates are improving according to their last ofsted report, but isn't fantastic.
Their ofsted gradings seem to have dropped too.

Looking at the last one in 2010, they should be due another inspection soon.

You're right. I'm sure I keep seeing adverts comparing their results to other colleges in the region though?

Data here if anyone is interested http://www.education.gov.uk/cgi-bin/scho...urn=131347&superview=p16

(24 Apr 2014, 7:25 pm)aureolin wrote You're right. I'm sure I keep seeing adverts comparing their results to other colleges in the region though?

Data here if anyone is interested http://www.education.gov.uk/cgi-bin/scho...urn=131347&superview=p16

Its like the Passenger Focus figures or Tesco saying they're cheaper than Asda, but Asda saying they beat all the other supermarkets on price.
There are lies, more lies and statistics

Schools often advertise that 97% of pupils got an A-C grade. What they don't mention, is that the majority of those pupils were nearer a C, than anything else.

Management has changed since the last visit and staff are on the sick.
It doesn't bode well.

http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.o...26type%3D1&sa=U&ei=DHJZU7vWMcOw7QaLsYDgAQ&ved=0CAsQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNGVEtwskBC__aELigGDNOau6wqPbg
Last report

(24 Apr 2014, 8:13 pm)Andreos Constantopolous wrote Its like the Passenger Focus figures or Tesco saying they're cheaper than Asda, but Asda saying they beat all the other supermarkets on price.
There are lies, more lies and statistics

Schools often advertise that 97% of pupils got an A-C grade. What they don't mention, is that the majority of those pupils were nearer a C, than anything else.

True, true. As they say 88.8% of statistics are made up anyway. How the data is spun is how you win people over. For example, statistics from road-safety groups claim that around 5% of motoring accidents are caused by people using their phones while driving. Spin that on it's head and you can claim that around 95% of motoring accidents are not caused by motorists using their phones whilst driving, thereby making the case that using your phone whilst driving is a relatively safe practise.

Chose my Firm and Insurance offers on UCAS for university today. Put Business Leadership & Corporate Management at Northumbria as my firm with Business Management at Newcastle as my insurance. All I can do now is hope and pray.

(25 Apr 2014, 6:14 pm)Adam wrote Chose my Firm and Insurance offers on UCAS for university today. Put Business Leadership & Corporate Management at Northumbria as my firm with Business Management at Newcastle as my insurance. All I can do now is hope and pray.

Good Luck! =D

(25 Apr 2014, 6:16 pm)Michael wrote Good Luck! =D

Thank you

We've got to do a leavers' assembly on Thursday and I was put in charge of putting it all together. I've thoroughly enjoyed going through photos from the past five years and seeing how we've all changed.

At the request of members of my year group, the background music is "#SELFIE" and we've got 300 photos of all 24 of us playing through the song.

As a year group, we aren't particularly close. We all have our small groups, but recently we've been coming together as one and it's been really nice!

Car passing MOT, which means I can now look forward to my 6 day trip to Scotland which starts next Friday.

(09 May 2014, 6:17 pm)GMitchelhill wrote Car passing MOT, which means I can now look forward to my 6 day trip to Scotland which starts next Friday.

Six days? Christ!

I'm staying in Edinburgh

Day 1 - Drive up through Kielder, Hawick and Peebles towards Carstairs and visit various bus depots of independent operators in Lanarkshire, Stirlingshire and Clackmannanshire. Also photographing at the bus stations at Stirling and Falkirk.

Day 2 - The Eagles Triumph bus tour ran by Chris Martin (same guy who organised the one in Durham the day before Teesside Running day with Jeff.

Day 3 - Lathalmond Running Day 2014

Day 4 - Visit Glasgow area

Day 5 - Stagecoach Fife Day Ticket (break from the car)

Day 6 - Edinburgh then head home on the night time.

(09 May 2014, 6:41 pm)GMitchelhill wrote I'm staying in Edinburgh

Day 1 - Drive up through Kielder, Hawick and Peebles towards Carstairs and visit various bus depots of independent operators in Lanarkshire, Stirlingshire and Clackmannanshire. Also photographing at the bus stations at Stirling and Falkirk.

Day 2 - The Eagles Triumph bus tour ran by Chris Martin (same guy who organised the one in Durham the day before Teesside Running day with Jeff.

Day 3 - Lathalmond Running Day 2014

Day 4 - Visit Glasgow area

Day 5 - Stagecoach Fife Day Ticket (break from the car)

Day 6 - Edinburgh then head home on the night time.

I recommend First's Streetlites if you get the chance. They're really smart, and believe they have the same eLeather seating that Arriva Max will have?

Feeling confident for an exam.

Been doing some GCSE Biology revision for Module 2 today (as well as Maths, English and French revision too) and I've been watching these videos whilst printing off the PDFs and making notes. I've actually been able to finish the guy's sentences with the key stuff required for the exams (as proven by the past papers I've done in recent weeks).

One I'm up to now: http://www.my-gcsescience.com/videos/pro...d-enzymes/

Perhaps I'll not be so confident come Tuesday, but at least for now it's better than how I'm feeling for Monday's exam (French)...

(10 May 2014, 6:10 pm)Dan wrote Feeling confident for an exam.

Been doing some GCSE Biology revision for Module 2 today (as well as Maths, English and French revision too) and I've been watching these videos whilst printing off the PDFs and making notes. I've actually been able to finish the guy's sentences with the key stuff required for the exams (as proven by the past papers I've done in recent weeks).

One I'm up to now: http://www.my-gcsescience.com/videos/pro...d-enzymes/

Perhaps I'll not be so confident come Tuesday, but at least for now it's better than how I'm feeling for Monday's exam (French)...

Good luck

(10 May 2014, 6:38 pm)Michael wrote Good luck

Thanks! I'll certainly need it...

(10 May 2014, 6:43 pm)Dan wrote Thanks! I'll certainly need it...

U wont

One of my business exams next month is all about Greggs so my teacher has arranged for my class to visit the Greggs production factory on Friday and we're all getting quite a lot of free Greggs food apparently.

(14 May 2014, 6:28 pm)Adam wrote One of my business exams next month is all about Greggs so my teacher has arranged for my class to visit the Greggs production factory on Friday and we're all getting quite a lot of free Greggs food apparently.

Haha sorry but that's quite funny

least u getting freebies =D

(14 May 2014, 6:28 pm)Adam wrote One of my business exams next month is all about Greggs so my teacher has arranged for my class to visit the Greggs production factory on Friday and we're all getting quite a lot of free Greggs food apparently.

Can I tag along? 8)
You seemingly get to go on loads of fun Business trips!

(14 May 2014, 6:29 pm)Michael wrote Haha sorry but that's quite funny

least u getting freebies =D

Mini incentive for us to go, I suppose

(14 May 2014, 6:32 pm)Dan wrote Can I tag along? 8)
You seemingly get to go on loads of fun Business trips!

haha, if you're at Gosforth at 9am on Friday then I might be able to sneak you in.

Yeah, the trips we've been on have sort of been accidental in a way. We went to Edinburgh and Go North East as a consequence of coming 2nd in a competition (sorry to brag, but I was Project Manager), winning my school £1,000 (smug smile developing), so the Business Department literally said here's £500, organise a trip for yourselves, so we did and took a couple of the teachers with us. GNE then offered us a tour of Sunderland Road depot and Gateshead Interchange, and I've already explained about the Greggs trip

I can guarantee you the current Year 12s won't get to go on trips like that