Evening of Celebration

Staff, students and parents/guardians alike enjoyed a fantastic Evening of Celebration night recently, full of heartwarming speeches, jubilant celebration and overall cheer.

Our Evening of Celebration is a wonderful night where we celebrate and congratulate the learners leaving CTK that year. Certain learners, who have been nominated by our staff, are also selected to win awards which vary from department awards, all the way to Chaplaincy awards.

Below is a list of winners:

Art & Design

BTEC L2 Art & Design – Esraa

A delightful student to teach and a real asset to the college. Esraa has worked tirelessly throughout
the year to made exciting art work. With a drive and ambition to become an architect Esraa’s
commitment to her studies is example to us all.

BTEC L3 Art & Design – Harry

Harry has work hard to develop an art style that he can truly call his own. His work has matured into sophisticated illustrations that document his family history. A student that has progressed through level 1, 2 and now 3 make steady progress and improving all the time. A model student and an example to all what hard work can produce.

Community Engagement Award – Alicia

Always keen to help others, volunteer for all and every college event, opening or gathering.

Performing Arts

BTEC L3 Performing Arts – Morgan

Morgan is a hard worker, always so diligent and focused. She always wants to do her best and is an
active and engaged member of the class. She is polite, courteous and always says good morning. I
will miss her energy and enthusiasm for the performing arts and wish her all the best in the future.

Community Engagement Award – Faye

Faye has always assisted in open events. She never says no if I ask her to help out, be an
ambassador or promote the performing arts course. She has built her confidence in speaking in
front of others not just in performing but in life! Faye also assisted the #inspiringgirls project with a
voice over for their nomination for a charity award. I will miss our conversations and shared love of
books.

Creative Media

BTEC L3 Creative Media – Milan

Milan is an exemplary student and has worked consistently hard throughout his two years at
CTK producing very high standards of work. He has shown excellent maturity and commitment,
aiming for a Distinctions in all his exam and coursework. Milan’s work reflects how he has built
on theoretical, creative and technical knowledge and understanding to demonstrate breadth and
depth in his studies. He has also given production support and advice to his classmates.

Community Engagement Award – Nadean

Nadean has been a positive support to her peers this year, both academically and emotionally. She
energises her peers in group activities and further develops her own skills by helping to upskill
others and generously giving her time and assistance. She makes the most of community life at
college and has volunteered as a subject ambassador for college open days.

Business & ICT

BTEC L3 ICT – Samuel

Samuel Davis has shown consistency in his personal development. He aims to expand his
knowledge by attending after college sessions to better understand computer systems and creating hardware. Samuel puts in outstanding effort when completing his assignments for ICT and always aims to achieve a distinction in his work.

BTEC L3 Business Studies – Chizoba

Chizoba is a pleasure to teach. He has shown great maturity throughout his studies by applying
himself even during remote learning. He is a mature, outgoing and respectful individual, who,
during lessons, contributes positively to the learning environment. Chizoba is an able student who
generally has demonstrated excellent skill-sets very well on the BTEC Tech Advanced Diploma in
Business, and is working towards achieving above his target grade. He is a polite and respectful
student who is able to conduct himself in a mature manner. His confidence in his own ability has
grown steadily as the course progressed and he is more adept at seeking clarification in matters he
is unsure of.

BTEC L2 Business Studies – Tihomir

Tihomir is a hardworking and dedicated student who is very passionate about his
studies. He is very conscientious and produces work to the highest standards and hands it in on
time. Tihomir is a good-humoured student who is highly motivated and gets on well with his peers.
He is very ambitious and wants to do well in his business studies course. He is a pleasure to teach.

BTEC Foundation Business Studies – Giuliano

Giuliano is a committed student who has worked really hard and has really excelled in his
studies. His confidence and maturity have grown over the past few months and this is especially
shown in his written work and involvement in teamwork activities. He is the IT Guru of the group. He is a very helpful student who will not hesitate to help his peers when it comes to IT matters.

The Madeline Grainger Award – Christina

Christina shows great independence in how she approaches her studies. She is often in
college earlier that she is required to apply herself to the work. Christina has also engaged with
mentoring through Urban Synergy where she sought support with developing her confidence
and teamworking skills. This is something above and beyond her academic studies that she fully
engaged with to develop herself.

Engineering

BTEC L3 Engineering – Fejiro

An excellent attendance record Fejiro always tries his very best. Fejiro wants to do well, he always has his books at hand and always takes notes.

BTEC L2 Engineering – Timilehin

An excellent student who is committed to doing well in engineering. He is first to get involved in all
engineering activities and is a great team player.

Community Engagement Award – George

One of our most resilient Students with a high level of engagement in lessons throughout all Engineering Disciplines. George will deliver work to a high standard, to the deadlines set and is always willing to help his fellow students. George is showing a genuine interest in engineering and has a natural aptitude for the subject.

GCSE

GCSE English Award – Geoffrey

I would like to nominate Geoffrey Gyamfi for his consistent hard-work and persistence in GCSE English. He is a very pleasant and polite young man.

GCSE Maths – Princess

Princess demonstrates a very positive attitude to maths and has been a role model and mentor to
other students. Excellent work ethic. We wish Princess every success.

Health & Social Care

BTEC L3 Health & Social Care – Maisie

Maisie is a kind, lovely and pleasant student that is always happy to help other student and her
teachers. Maisie has great attendance, attitude to learning and is self-motived.

BTEC L2 Health & Social Care – Sinead

Sinead is a sensible, calm, pleasant and studious young woman who has excelled in behaviour and
academic work.

Community Engagement Award – Precious

Academic Peer Mentor, Precious work with groups of 2 to 5 students on Unit 3 anatomy and
physiology, which many of our students struggle with. Precious brought forward her own style
of teaching to the topic and taught students in a manner that she understood as a student that
engaged her mentee.

Pathways

Social Science Pathway Student of the Year Award – Kajiann

Kajiann is a self-driven, high motivated and respectful student, who approaches every situation with calmness, kindness, and maturity. Kajiann is the most level-headed student that I have every met who is intelligent and puts her all in everything that she does and is always happy to help those around her.

Business Studies Pathway Student of the Year Award – Zara

Zara has been a pleasure to teach and has worked very hard to ensure she does well in Business,
Law and ICT. In lessons she keeps her head down and works well with her peers and her teachers
for all 3 subjects.

Community Engagement Award – Sherelle

Sherelle has engaged well with extra-curricular through workshops, electives and attended sessions with external speakers to help support her career goals.

Applied Science

BTEC L3 Applied Science – Alexander

Alex has made outstanding progress on the programme due to his dedication, commitment and the independent study time invested in his work. We know he will be an exceptional forensic scientist.

Community Engagement Award – Vera

Vera is an inspirational young person. Vera is a conscientious learner and is always willing to support others and is a key member of the community at CTK. It was a pleasure to be a part of her
educational journey and we wish her all the best for the future.

Sport

BTEC L2 Sport – Connor

Connor has met all his deadlines and completed all coursework to his highest possible standard. Connor has provided help for the rest of the students in his class and has modelled outstanding behaviour in and outside of his lessons.

BTEC L3 Sport (The James Jackson Award) – Faisor

We would like to nominate Faisor Jimor for the same reasons as above and the commitment he has made from the transition from level 2 to level 3.

Community Engagement Award – Sahara

We would like to nominate Sahara Wilson, as she ran the Sports event for the chaplaincy and has
been at all the basketball games to volunteer as a table official. Sahara also volunteered to promote and work on the enrichment relaunch, which was a very successful event.

Hall Awards

Durham Hall Award – Alicia

Always keen to help others and happily volunteers for all and every college event, opening or
gathering.

Canterbury Hall Award – Sheniz

Sheniz is such a well-meaning, and thoughtful student. She has contributed so much to the life and
community of the College. Her energy and enthusiasm are infectious, and she always wants to help.

York Hall Award – Amina

Amina has been an exceptional student. Her attendance is excellent, and she works so diligently
and with a focused determination.

Aylesford Hall Award – Shannon

Excellent Attendance and always contributing helping with evenings and events.

Sixth Form Awards

Peter Fagan award (Outstanding Contribution in the Community or to the Life of the Sixth Form – Laila & Amelia

Laila and Amelia have been exemplary students throughout their time at college. They have
assisted in numerous open events and been a shining light as Student Ambassadors. They come
as a pair and always have a smile and a hello for staff. Outstanding contribution to the life of the
College and we wish them all the best for their future.

The Eco Committee Award – Freda

Freda is a key member of the Eco Committee. Of special note is promoting Meat Free Mondays and the recycling of single use plastics and the Eyes of the World campaign for COP 26. Freda has helped build habitats for priority species including hedgehogs and frogs.

The Chaplaincy Award – Rachel

Rachel has been a proactive supporter of the Chaplaincy, regularly reading at the weekly Mass in
the Chapel, attending Chaplaincy trips to represent CTK at Diocesan events, and demonstrating her
faith by engaging in charity fundraising and especially by offering support to her peers.

Cathy Coshall Award – Sawmarr

Sawmarr started from level 1 and is now upper 6 leaving this year. He has become a mature and confident young man who has worked really hard throughout his 4 years in CTK. This year he has been very helpful with the level 1 students. For example, for one of their units on developing a progression plan he gave them a talk on how he progressed from L1 to L3 in CTK. He was also part of the group who organised a progression and skills conference for the level 1 students and worked really hard at this. Finally, he was one of the keynote speakers at the Level 2 Business Conference.

Congratulations to all the winners from tonight, and a huge thank you to everyone who attended!

Apprenticeship Week

Learning all about apprenticeships!

Learners at CTK Emmanuel were treated to our contributions towards the National Apprenticeship Week this week, including talks and presentations by speakers from a variety of different areas and professions. As a sixth form, it is our privilege to run events such as these that highlight other avenues learners can progress onto, as informing learners on the alternative choices they have after studying at CTK is important to nurturing their development. 

CTK Alumnus, Ms. Adomaityte, held a great talk entitled, ‘Her Journey as an Apprentice’ and was all about her journey from a CTK learner, to studying an apprenticeship and eventually culminating in her current position as a Data Analyst at HDR. The talk was inspiring to the learners and concentrated on the benefits of studying an apprenticeship.  

Another great talk was held remotely by Tom Culley (British Telecom & Co-Chair at London Apprenticeship Ambassador Network) who gave an educating presentation on what employers would look for in a prospective apprentice. This talk was invaluable as it allowed learners to gain a useful insight into what desirable characteristics potential employers would be looking for. 

The week has been full of amazing talks, like the two mentioned above, and we would like to take this moment to wholeheartedly thank all the speakers who generously donated their time to further educate us with their fascinating presentations. 

Business Learners Run Successful Events

Charitable acts by our Business learners

Business students at CTK Emmanuel successfully ran some amazing events for some fantastic charities recently. The events consisted of both a hot chocolate stand and a tuck shop, with the money being split between the two charities chosen by the learners: Child Bereavement UK (a charity around helping those dealing with the loss of a child) and the Rainbow Trust (a charity providing support to families dealing with terminally ill members). 

The events were a great success, with queues forming in the reception area to buy both the sweets and hot chocolate. Staff members also got involved in the purchasing, with one staff member stating, “It’s really nice to see that the learners care deeply about these issues. Just now I was speaking to the learners about these charities, and they are very knowledgeable on the subject, I can’t wait to see what Social Action they organise next!” 

Social Action is extremely important to us all within the CTK community, and we are looking forward to the future where we have many more events planned for great causes. An example of this is the upcoming Valentine’s Day Lolly Sale, where learners in the chaplaincy are selling lollies with the proceeds going towards the Young Minds charity, a charity which ensures people are receiving the correct mental health support that they require. 

Grant awarded for T Levels

DFE grant awarded for the upcoming Health and Science T Level

We are proud to announce that we have been selected to receive a grant to fund the delivery of the upcoming T Levels in 2022.

T Levels are new courses which follow GCSEs and are equivalent to 3 A levels. These 2-year courses have been developed in collaboration with employers and businesses so that the content meets the needs of industry and prepares students for work, further training or study.

We are elated to receive this honour, along with 44 other colleges, as it will assist us with the creation of the new Health and Science hub. This includes a mock hospital ward for our future T Level Health learners and a contemporary science hub for our T Level Science students.

Simon Spearman, Principal, said, “I’m delighted and excited that we are going to have a resource which will enable health and science students to live out their vocational subjects at the Emmanuel site and also develop their skills in readiness to practice in their work placements.

Currently, a large proportion of our Health and Science learners go in to healthcare careers, so this award allows us to provide these learners with the ability to gain real life experience that will undoubtedly help them prepare for jobs within the Healthcare and Science industry.”

Christmas Gift Appeal

Christ the King Sixth Forms has teamed up with the EKC Group in Kent to launch a Christmas Gift Appeal. 

We will be collecting donations of toys or Christmas presents, or donations  to ensure that those in need still get to experience the joy of receiving something special this Christmas.  

Shireen Razey, Principal of Christ the King Sixth Forms says; “Our students are keen to make a difference in the local communities where they live and work, many of which have been effected by the pandemic. Our Sixth Forms do a lot of work supporting charities, and we all wanted to make the festive period special for young people who have experienced such hardship this year”. 

If you would like to donate to the campaign you can donate presents off at CTK St Mary’s in Sidcup, CTK Emmanuel in Lewisham or CTK Aquinas in Brockley.   

Suitable Donations: 

The charities are only able to take new items, sealed in their packaging. The items they can accept are: 

  • Toys 
  • Puzzles 
  • Colouring Books or Puzzle Books 
  • Gift vouchers 
  • Toiletries 
  • Chocolates/biscuits or hot chocolate 

You can also donate money at the fundraising page EKC Group and Christ the King Sixth Forms have set up:  gf.me/u/y8iw73

Charities 

The charities we are collecting for are: 

Demelza Hospice Care for Children https://www.demelza.org.uk/ 

St Vincent de Paul Society https://www.svp.org.uk/node/606 

Refuge https://www.refuge.org.uk/  

our gift appeal in the press 

You can read the full article at https://www.fenews.co.uk/press-releases/58649-college-couple-team-up-to-make-christmas-special

CTK Emmanuel selected to offer T Levels from September 2022

Christ the King Sixth Forms are pleased to announce today that from September 2022, CTK Emmanuel will be able to offer the new T Levels in Business & Admin and Engineering & Manufacturing.   

T Levels are high-quality technical alternatives to A Levels, combining classroom theory, practical learning and a work placement.  These new qualifications have been designed with industry experts, to make sure that students have the skills they need to thrive in the workplace and give businesses the workforce they need to succeed.  

Executive Principal Shireen Razey says; “We are delighted to have been chosen to offer the new T Levels in Business and Engineering from September 2022.  Our students are already able to choose from a wide-range of high-quality vocational courses and we welcome the addition of T Levels as an exciting new programme of study to give our students even more choice” 

CTK Emmanuel is a professional centre for excellence, offering a wide range of vocational routes to university.  The Business and Engineering departments are already well established, with excellent outcomes, university progression and highly specialised Business and Engineering teaching staff.  Preparation for offering T Levels began last academic year, by introducing the 45 day work placement for Level 3 students, meaning that CTK Emmanuel has a head start on being able to offer the T Levels in 2022. 
 

CTK Emmanuel serves a wide range of students from the local community in South London and surrounding boroughs. The addition of T Levels gives local students even more choice in the post 16 progression options locally.  Students starting CTK Emmanuel in September 2022 will be able to choose to study T Levels in Engineering & Manufacturing or Business & Admin, in addition to the current wide range of A Level equivalent courses already on offer.  These courses are designed with university progression in mind and currently almost 90% of CTK students go on to university, with around half of these being Russell Group institutions.

Coronavirus – Latest Update

Update – 20th March

Following the announcement that education providers will close, apart from to the children of key workers and vulnerable students, the Government has now published its list of Key workers here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision

If you fall into the key worker category, please email us to confirm at enquiries@ctksfc.ac.uk, that you would like your child to attend College.   All the parent’s whose children fall into the vulnerable category were contacted by email yesterday.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers

Update – 19th March

College Closure 

Christ The King Sixth Forms will be closed from Monday 23rd March to all students, until further notice (apart from key worker’s children and vulnerable students) following the Government’s announcement last night that all schools and colleges will close at this date, due to the Coronavirus outbreak. 

Home/Distance Learning 

  • Students should check their College emails, teachers will be setting and marking classwork. Students have been fully briefed on how to study from home using online systems, Microsoft Teams, Moodle and email. 

Exams 

  • The Government announced yesterday that examinations will not take place this Summer.  We do not yet know what the Government’s plans for awarding grades will be, students should be encouraged to keep completing work set and submitting all work, please continue to check your email for updates. 

Vulnerable students and Key worker’s children 

  • We aim to remain open in some capacity for Key Worker and vulnerable students. We will be writing to those students separately to inform them of this. 

Bursary Payments 

  • A full payment will be made to all students who receive bursary payments, in the next few days.  We will continue to pay your money directly into your bank accounts, with an additional payment of £4 a day to cover free school meals.  The FSM payment will be made until the Easter holidays in the first instance as we understand a national scheme will be set up and we will update students with the information as soon as we have it. 

Students who have been offered a place for study at Christ the King Sixth Forms in 2020  

  • Please rest assured that this will not affect your application.  Once we know what the Government’s plans for awarding grades, we will update you.  

Students who have applied for a place for study at Christ the King Sixth Forms in 2020  

  • We will continue to process your application as normal.  We are postponing interviews for the present time. As an oversubscribed sixth form, we don’t want you to be disadvantaged by this so we will be making offers based on application and school report/reference.   

Students who wish to apply for a place at Christ the King Sixth Forms in 2020  

  • Applications will remain open, you can apply online or download an application form.  We will be touch once we receive your application. 

Contacting the College 

If you need to contact us during this time, please contact staff on their usual email address. If you have not heard back within 24 hours or the matter is urgent please contact us via  enquiries@ctksfc.ac.uk  

We will continue to keep you updated via email and website announcements on our website, please also keep up to date with Government guidance which is updated daily on www.gov.uk/coronavirus

We keep you all in our thoughts and prayers. 

Update –  18th March 

PARTIAL CLOSURE OF SIXTH FORM for Lower Sixth BTEC Level 3 and Lower Sixth A Level Students 

Following the Government’s recent announcement regarding self-isolation measures, unfortunately staffing levels are at a point where we are unable to teach all students safely onsite.   The health and safety of our students and staff is our number one priority at all times, therefore we will be implementing the following measures: 

From tomorrow, Thursday 19th March, until after the Easter Holidays, Tuesday 21st April, only Year 13 (Upper Sixth students), BTEC Level 1 & 2 students and those sitting GCSE/Level 1 Maths and English should attend lessons onsite. 

All remaining students should stay at home and teachers will be setting and marking work online. It is important that students continue to work hard and keep up to date with their studies. In tutorial yesterday students were fully briefed on how to access their college work from home using Microsoft Teams, Moodle and email. 

The situation is changing daily, we anticipate there will be further developments, parents and staff will continue to be updated via email.  We will continue to post updates on our website.  For further information on Coronavirus, please visit the Government website, which is updated daily. 

Update – 17th March

As you are probably aware, the Government announced new guidance yesterday regarding coronavirus.  We will continue to keep parents/guardians updated via our website but please ensure you are following the Government guidance which is updated daily www.gov.uk/coronavirus

I want to reassure you that Christ the King Sixth Forms are taking all necessary steps to protect our community and are continuing to follow official guidance from the Government and the local authority. We have taken protective measures which includes, asking that external visitors do not visit our sixth forms, postponing work experience, extra curriculum events and all trip and visits.   

Our sixth forms remain open for all students – this is the current official Government guidance.  If your son/daughter is unwell or self-isolating, report this as you would normally by following the absence procedure and telephoning us.  

If your son/daughter has the symptoms below, please keep them away from college.  Latest Government advice on how long they should stay off for can be found by visiting  www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection 

  • A new persistent dry cough 
  • A temperature that is above 37.8 C 

Government guidance now also says that if anyone in your family has these symptoms, the whole family should isolate for 14 days.  

Today in your son/daughter’s tutorial we have outlined the above, as well as given them instructions on distance learning, so that they are able to access their emails and college work from home, should they need to at this present time or near future. 

Current Government advice is that anyone at risk of increased risk of severe illness from coronavirus, needs to follow social distancing measures.  All students with a pre-existing condition that this applied to will be written to today.  If you think this applies to your son/daughter and we aren’t aware of their medical condition, please contact m.nunes@ctksfc.ac.uk 

Update – 16th March

Ensuring the health and wellbeing of students, staff and our sixth form community is of the upmost importance to Christ the King Sixth Forms.  We have therefore decided to implement a range of measures aimed at attempting to protect our community from the transmission of coronavirus. 

We continue to closely follow the Government’s advice and our sixth forms will remain open at this present time. However, we will be taking a number of measures to mitigate against transmission of coronavirus. 

 These will include, but are not limited to: 

  1. We are asking that external visitors do not visit our sixth form.   
  2. Student interviews will be postponed, all students will be contacted with information regarding this. 
  3. We ask that parents do not visit our sixth form.  Any parental meetings will be conducted by telephone.   
  4. We will be cancelling any external activity for students, such as work experience, visits or trips, they might have been planning to take as part of their course.  

Any further updates will continue to be posted on our website.  If you have any questions about these measures, please get in touch, by emailing enquiries@ctksfc.ac.uk  

Further information about Coronavirus can be found by visiting https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response  

Update – 13th March

Coronavirus (COVID-19): UK government response – Updated 13 March 2020

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of:

New continuous cough and/or

High temperature

For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild infection

Key messages

If you have symptoms of coronavirus infection (COVID-19), however mild, stay at home and do not leave your house for 7 days from when your symptoms started. (See ending isolation section below for more information).

Wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds, each time using soap and water.

Stay away from vulnerable individuals such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions as much as possible

You do not need to call NHS 111 to go into self-isolation. If your symptoms worsen during home isolation or are no better after 7 days contact NHS 111 online. If you have No internet access, you should call NHS 111. For a medical emergency dial 999

For more information on the above, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-people-with-confirmed-or-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection

Update – 2nd March

Department for Education Coronavirus helpline

Today, the Dfe have launched a new helpline to answer questions about COVID-19 related to education. Staff, parents and young people can contact the helpline as follows:

Phone: 0800 046 8687
Email: DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk
Opening hours: 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday)

We know that some of you may have concerns or questions about the current outbreak of Coronavirus – officially known as COVID-19.

We want to reassure you that we are working hard to minimise the risk to our students and staff and are following Government guidelines at all times.

For the latest information and guidance, please see the Government’s website.https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-information-for-the-public

CTK Alumni Visit

We were delighted to welcome back to Sixth form yesterday evening, CTK alumni, who have studied Medicine or studied at Oxbridge to share their experiences with current Y12 students. The alumni represented a range of careers from junior doctors, to the media to politics.

Mrs Nadori, who organises the annual Alumni Evening, said: “ Our alumni offer great advice to students aspiring to study Medicine or applying to Oxbridge. It is always fascinating to hear how they have progressed in their respective careers.

The Panic Room Experience

Students from both CTK Emmanuel and CTK St Mary’s were taken to an escape room today to help them prepare for their BTEC Business “Developing a marketing campaign” exam.

The students were all expected to use their problem solving skills to break out of themed rooms and really enjoyed the experience. After this, the managing director of The Panic Room delivered a talk and Q&A on how they market their business which served as primary research for the students sitting the exam in January.

The trip was great fun and we wish the students all the best in their January exams!

Maggie Reid – External Speaker Talk

Students at St Mary’s and Emmanuel enjoyed an informative presentation by Maggie Reid, independent Human Resources (HR) contractor, about careers in HR. After graduating in Modern Languages, Maggie worked for charity organisations in Africa.

She has a wealth of experience in HR, having worked for the University of Greenwich implementing large-scale pay review projects and, more recently, as an independent contractor for the professional body, The Law Society.

Maggie spoke about there being many subjects at Sixth Form and degree level, which can open up a career in HR including English, History, Modern Languages and social sciences like Psychology, Sociology and Business. She emphasised that certain skills were important for the role. Practitioners need to be good communicators with strong interpersonal skills, willing to work in a team and be organised. HR professionals may find themselves in conflict resolution and advocacy roles, which requires confidence and attention to detail. Others may find themselves in a training role, both in-house or externally, or managing corporate change or transformation projects. In essence, there are many different aspects to HR so it is a career offering variety.

In terms of advice, Maggie urged students to take up as many opportunities as possible within and outside their current programme of study, to gain experience and develop transferable skills.

Maggie is also currently supporting the College in a voluntary role as a member of our Partnership Advisory Board.

Talk by Philippe Sands QC

CTK Emmanuel was delighted to recently host a talk by Philippe Sands QC which he gave to over one hundred of our students. 

Philippe spoke about his career as a professor of Law at University College of London as well as a barrister at Matrix Chambers. Philippe also explained how he became a regular commentator on the BBC and CNN and frequent writer  for leading newspapers. 

As a practicing barrister, Philippe was able to highlight his extensive experience in litigating cases before international courts. Leading cases in which he has been involved in include Pinochet and Guantanamo detainees. He is also author of ‘Lawless World’ on the illegality of the Iraq war, and ‘Torture Team’ on liability for torture.

Urban Synergy

Urban Synergy’s ‘Tips to the Top’ Role Model seminar is one of the highlights of the academic year at Christ the King Sixth Forms. The annual cross-site event, which features panel discussions and speed mentoring sessions, inspires confidence in our students and gives them an opportunity to interact with leading industry professionals.

Discussions of this kind not only broaden student horizons but also provide a valuable insight into the qualities of academic and professional success. The mentoring programmes and inspirational seminars organised by the charity provide support, guidance and encouragement for young people, and motivate them to achieve their best.

This year Christ the King Sixth Forms was fortunate enough to welcome the following guest speakers to the panel:

  • Colin Donaldon, Bristh Airways Pilot
  • Ade Adelekan, Chief Superintendent
  • Troy Von Scheibner – Magician & TV Personality (CTK alumnus)
  • Mahta Mehari, Senior Software Project Manager
  • Adrian Grant, Entertainment Producer

The evening opened with an introductory session, in which the panel discussed their personal journeys and outlined the steps they have taken to get to where they are today. This was followed by an insightful Q&A session, in which students addressed personal questions to members of the panel.

Students, as always, left the event feeling both inspired and motivated about their future potential!

Elevate Mentoring Programme

The Elevate Mentoring Programme was launched this week to CTK students by alumnus Trevor Gomes and his BT colleagues Tom Culley and Radostina Velinova.

The programme was created by Trevor to equip students with the skills and experiences required to enter the world of work and higher education.  Twenty students took part in the launch and the programme will cover topics including: Personal Branding, Networking, Interview skills, Resilience at Work, Mentoring and careers at BT and EE.

As part of the programme students will take part in a number of activities and external visit including a trip to Wembley Stadium and meeting businessman Levi Roots.

Nigel Hogg Visit

As part of the External Speaker Programme, on 17 October, students enjoyed an engaging presentation by Nigel Hogg, Apprenticeship Manager at the University of East London.  Nigel, who has worked for many companies throughout his career, notably London Underground and Ford Motor Company, is an engineer by profession and, more recently, has been involved in teaching and education.  He organises the University’s Degree Apprenticeship programmes and explained that this is a fast-growing sector with new programmes being introduced all the time.   Not all programmes are business-related; there are also opportunities in the healthcare industry, digital technologies and engineering to name but a few.  Nigel talked about the many companies offering apprenticeships and stressed the importance, particularly with the larger organisations like TfL and BT, of researching dates when they are accepting applications and the assessment process.

One of Nigel’s key messages about applying for apprenticeships was to give yourself a competitive edge by doing something different, outside of your studies.  Candidates who had volunteered or had a hobby or participated in schemes like the Duke of Edinburgh Award were the ones that stood out, he maintained.

For more information about the University of East London’s involvement in apprenticeships, please visit: https://www.uel.ac.uk/apprenticeships

Barclays Rise Programme

The Barclays RISE Programme (Revealing the Industry to Secondary Education) was launched this week to CTK students by Zainab Kwaw-Swanzy, Yaa Ofori-Ansah, Adetola Oshin and a number of their Barclays colleagues.

The programme has been running for a number of years and was originally created by former CTK student, Michael Lee, and his colleagues within the Barclays Graduate Scheme. They wanted to provide a platform where they could share their experiences whilst mentoring students who may have limited opportunities and insight into working in professional industries.  

Each student on the programme is assigned a mentor and works with them through a four session programme.  The weekly sessions are split into two parts with the first part being an interactive presentation on the development topic of the week.  The second part is an opportunity for each mentee to have the chance to speak to and work with their mentor individually.

Following the successful completion of the mentoring programme there is also the opportunity for students to gain work experience with Barclays.

CTK Fast Track Programme

Everyone needs to be aware of the career opportunities available to them in the future and how to best take advantage of them. To support this, the October half term saw the launch of the sixth annual CTK Fast Track Programme. As in previous years, the programme involved a large number of students from all three CTK sites coming together at CTK: Emmanuel for two days of training.

The morning session of the first day was led by CTK alumnus Seye Olokede who spoke about his own experiences and how students can “Develop a professional work ethic.” During the talk Seye covered topics including the importance of time keeping, personal presentation and the skills needed to work well and succeed in the modern workplace. During the second part of the first days training, we welcomed Trevor Gomes and Louis Howell who spoke to students about a wide range of opportunities they could become involved in. They also spoke about the use of social media in a professional environment and the benefits of networking through LinkedIn.

The first day concluded with Maria O’Regan along with her colleagues from Santander conducting two workshops “Building and presenting a compelling CV” and “Competency based Interviews”. Working in small groups, students had the opportunity to get advice and guidance on their CVs and how they could develop their interview techniques.

The second days training started with a presentation from Zainab Kwaw-Swanzy and Tola Oshin from Barclays regarding the RISE programme. The rest of the day was run by The Unloc Enterprise Academy and focused on alternative career routes for students; specifically on self-employment and entrepreneurship.

Feedback from students and guests was that the training was hugely beneficial and will have a positive impact on their career aspirations and goals.

Question Time Experience

Christ the King Sixth Forms organised a pre-election ‘Question Time’ experience for students across our three sites on Wednesday 45th December. Candidates from the local constituencies were in attendance to field questions from students ranging from how they are engaging young people in politics, tackling knife crime and mental health issues amongst young people, to housing and of course Brexit. The students asked searching and challenging questions of the party representatives.

The following candidates attended and fielded questions from our audience; CTK Emmanuel – Richard Galloway (Young people’s party), Janet Daby (Labour), Gavin Haran (Conservative), Ade Fatukasi (Lib Dem), Rosamund Addo-Kissi-Debrah (Greens) and Roger Deep (Independent), CTK St Marys – Simone Reynolds (Lib Dem) and David Tingle (Labour), CTK Aquinas – Andrea Carey (Greens), Bobby Dean (Lib Dem) and Adam Abdullah (Labour).  It was an excellent, thoughtful and informative experience for all concerned.

Duro Oye Visit

As part of the External Speaker Programme, Business students at CTK: Emmanuel and Health & Social Care students at St Mary’s enjoyed an engaging presentation by the founder of 2020 Change Foundation, Duro Oye.  2020 Change is a youth empowerment organisation, set up to build the next generation of community, business and political leaders.

Thanks to corporate sponsorship, from the likes of Converse and Nando’s, 2020 Change is able to offer a 6-week programme to young people looking to enhance their employability and transferable skills.  The commitment is 2 evening sessions a week for 6 weeks, after which students “graduate” and are offered ongoing mentoring and support with their next move.  Students who are interested in applying and finding out more can visit the website at: http://www.2020change.org/

CTK Emmanuel
Belmont Grove
London SE13 5GE
020 8297 9433
emmanuel@ctksfc.ac.uk
Christ The King Sixth Forms