NOTICE: Harrow on the Hill Campus is open today Saturday 3rd March. Please travel to College safely.

This message will be updated with any changes. Last updated: Friday 2nd March, 4pm

Vibe 107.6 FM is a community radio station run by volunteers who broadcast in Watford and the surrounding area including Harrow.

The student team from Harrow College Radio (HC Radio) were lucky enough to get a behind-the-scenes look at the station and meet the producers and presenters. As well as learning about the technical aspects of running a radio station, the students got a live demonstration on how to produce a show.

They were challenged to create their own links (sound bites that link music together) which they presented live on the 5pm drivetime show. Harrow College students Gideon Anane (DJ Gids from HC Radio) presented a link about Cheryl Cole's alleged spilt from Liam Payne. Chloe Heffernan talked about her passion for Harry Potter and Queanna Gordon talked about the Beast from the East, the snow storm which recently hit the U.K.

Vibe 107.6 FM were fantastic hosts and keen to share their expertise, knowledge and tips and the team from HC Radio are looking forward to putting their newly acquired skills into practice across the Harrow College airwaves.

Click here to listen to past HC Radio shows

Students from Harrow College have attended a motivational talk given by renowned public speaker Jackson Ogunyemi, better known as Action Jackson.

Jackson held talks at the college’s Harrow on the Hill campus on Monday 12 March 2018. In front of packed audiences, Jackson spoke about the importance of dreaming big, acting now and never giving up. He encouraged students to work hard, form good habits and to limit activities which could be holding you back.

Clearly separating social time from class time, reducing the use of social media on smart phones for entertainment purposes and learning from past experiences were some of the key messages. Jackson spoke about his own experiences and engaged with the students a number of times in group activities to demonstrate the power of the mind in completing tasks which initially seemed un-achievable. One example included the students recalling 30 random items in order after many initially claimed to only be able to recall no more half that total.

Action Jackson founded Fix Up Seminars in 2001, which delivers workshops focused on motivating students, teachers and parents. When asked about a key message that students should take away from the day, Jackson said:

“Don’t be afraid to fail because failure is part of success. And if you do fail, learn from the experience and try again”.

Interested in joining Harrow College? View our courses and apply now – click here

Computing students at Harrow College were interviewed by leading representatives from the world of IT this week (13 March 2018) as part of a special mock interview careers event.

Employers from over twenty organisations including BT, Sky, TSB, Capgemini, TSB and more conducted fictional employment interviews, just as they would in a real life situation to help students receive a better understanding of a formal work related interview process. Many of the students will face interviews from IT employers in the future and career preparation like this is designed to give the young learners a head start on their career journeys.

The students faced a number of questions during their 30 minute interview including:

• What are some of the skills you have developed recently that would be useful for employment?
• What motivates you?
• Where do you see yourself in ten years’ time?

Students were assessed on their responses as well as other important competencies including their dress code, time keeping and body language. The employers were constructive with their feedback to ensure students took away key learning experiences including what they could improve for future interviews and how their overall CV’s could be developed.

Speaking after the event, Lauren Owen from TSB said:

“Students showed a lot of interest and should shout more about their achievements. It’s clear that the students already have some great experiences which they do not highlight enough – we were able to feed back about this. The students today were very confident and were able to articulate themselves very well – a credit to the college”

Josh Berle from Government Sales added “This morning has been very inspiring. I have met some very dedicated and focussed young people who are about to embark on their life journeys. By taking part today, they are showing the right attitude to want to succeed in life – I leave today feeling very optimisitc”.

If you are interested in IT and computing courses at Harrow College, click here.

When the Starbucks coffee shop in Watford placed an advert on Facebook calling for a local artist to help them out, local Harrow College student Bartosz Cichowski was quick to accept the challenge and offer his creative skills.

The advert headline read ‘Looking for Local Artist to Design a Space in Starbucks’. Bartosz, a Deaf student on Year 1 of a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Architecture, Interior and Product Design course, made contact and arranged an interview. Accompanied by the Harrow College CSU (Communication Support Unit), Bartosz met Shop Manager Luke Stoffberg who was very impressed by what he saw. Bartosz was commissioned for the job which was to design a chalk-paint image on a notice board within the popular coffee shop.

Days later, Bartosz visited Starbucks along with Communicator Debbie Jerrom. With his sketches to hand and a design plan in mind, Bartosz spent the day creating his piece of art using chalk-paint (which he had never used before). The completed design (see image) was revealed to the Starbucks staff team were delighted with the results. Manager Luke Stoffberg commented:

“It rivals the professional artworks that I have seen in the American Starbucks shops. I wish it could be laminated so it lasts forever”.

Speaking earlier at Harrow College today, Bartosz said:

“I really enjoyed the opportunity to do this work for Starbucks as many people will see my name on it. Art is my main talent and am working with staff at the college to decide which creative industry I can aim for.”

Starbucks Watford proudly shared photos of the finished image (see photo above) across social media.

For more about Art & Design courses at Harrow College, click here

For more about the CSU at Harrow College, click here

A group of career driven students from Harrow College have continued on their journey of discovery with the Raw Talent Employability Academy. As part of their programme of activities spread across the academic year, the group visited the offices of Capita to gain a unique first-hand insight into the word of work. Capita are a UK leader in delivering technology enabled business process management and outsourcing solutions.

For many, this was their first visit to a major corporate organisation. Dressed in their smart suits and with notebooks in hand, the student met various people from within different areas of the Workforce Technology Division. These included a welcome from the CEO and managers responsible for Talent Identification, Sales, Finance, Post Sales, Commercial and Compliance.

Each manager also gave detail on their own development and highlighted the core attributes that Capita look for when employing staff. Following the talks, students were invited to ask a range of questions and given a tour of the offices.

Raw Talent Employability Academy is the brainchild of BBC Apprentice Winner, Lee McQueen. The Academy aims to give students an understanding of business through a hands-on programme, extracurricular to the student’s college studies. Activities include giving the selected learners the opportunity to visit a large corporation, visit the different areas of a live business environment and receive coaching from business experts on specific employability skills.

Lee Janaway Head of Learner Services, Experience and Employability said:

“Students were able to gain a vast understanding of the many roles within this part of Capita and the skills and attributes required by employers. I am sure that many of the students will go away and think about new future possibilities”.

For more about student life at Harrow College, click here

Over 50 Plumbing and Electrical students from Harrow College have enjoyed a career-focussed day in the company of tutors and an inspirational local plumber. The insightful and interactive day was coordinated by Working Knowledge - a social enterprise that exists to open the eyes of business to the young talent available locally.

The purpose of the day was about taking opportunities. Firstly the learners brainstormed ideas about the skills that they thought employers would be looking for when recruiting new employees. Business Volunteer and local Plumber Mark Fraser spoke about his remarkable story of a difficult childhood and associated troubles. He explained how he manged to switch his attention to learning a trade which provided him with a way out and led to a wonderful careers path. He highlighted communication and attitude as being key skills and attributes which benefited him in achieving a successful career.

The learners were then tasked with creating a team presentation which focused on business ideas. Each team showed great energy and enthusiasm when pitching their ideas. The session ended with Mark awarding a prize for the most outstanding individual of the day. The winner was student Michael McDonagh who had really embraced the day from the start, asking lots of good questions, communicating clearly and showing a positive attitude at all times. He was very deserving of his cash prize!

For more about Plumbing, Electrical and Construction courses at Harrow College, click here.

When the Football Association (the FA) named Harrow College as a host venue for the FA People’s Cup - a Futsal tournament which runs alongside the actual professional FA Cup, there was understandable excitement among the local community. The FA People’s Cup 2018 is the largest free 5-a-side football competition in the country, supported by the BBC’s Get Inspired campaign.

Futsal is an exciting, fast-paced small sided football game that is widely played across the world and is officially recognised by both UEFA and FIFA. Many of the world’s top class footballers played Futsal in their youth including Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Xavi and Cesc Fabregas, amongst many others!

The tournament kicked off in late February 2018 with Harrow College hosting matches at Vale Farm in Wembley. The day was action packed with teams giving it their all, hoping to progress to the semi-final. The winning team from round 1, competing in the college male & female category, was a team from Harrow College – a fantastic achievement!

Brunel University played host to the semi-finals (on 21 March 2018), and not only did team Harrow College compete, they also comprehensively won the game 5-0, defeating Whiltshire - another London college team. The Harrow College team, thrilled with their tournament performance, will now progress to the finals which will take place at St George’s Park – the £105m facility which is the training home for all England national football teams. Winners will be crowned during the grand final in late April, with a chance to be at Wembley Stadium for the Emirates FA Cup Final in May 2018.

Harrow College student Lestor Pereira said: “It’s a great achievement for the team and the college to qualify for the finals. It was a brilliant game and Wiltshire were tough opponents. I’m really happy to go through and I’m looking forward to playing at St George’s Park. It’s brilliant to be top goal scorer for my team too.”

Futsal is a five-a-side game, normally played on a flat indoor pitch with hockey sized goals and a size four ball with a reduced bounce. It is played to touchlines and all players are free to enter the penalty area and play the ball over head-height. Games are 20 minutes per half, played to a stop clock (similar to basketball) with time-outs permitted. The surface, ball and rules create an emphasis on improvisation, creativity and technique as well as ball control and passing in small spaces.

A delighted Katie Tarrant – Sports Lecturer and Futsal coordinator at Harrow College said:

“The whole Sports Department are extremely proud of how far this team has come in such a short space of time. Futsal was only introduced into the college in October so the boys have done fantastically well. We cannot wait to cheer them on at St George’s Park”.

For more on Sports courses at Harrow College, click here.

Former Harrow College student Brendan Simba has raised £500 pounds for the school in his home country of Zimbabwe which supported his early years as a student with cerebral palsy.

As a student at Harrow College, Brendan, now aged 24, studied media studies and also did a supported internship at the college. Prior to migrating to England aged 4, Brendan attended a special educational need school in Zimbabwe called King George VI. This school supported Brendan before his parents brought him to England. Brendan has the neurological disability cerebral palsy.

Brendan said:

“It has always been on my mind to give something back to the school that gave me a head-start as a disabled person. When we were recently told in class to come up with a project idea, I asked my colleagues if we could hold a fundraising activity to raise some money to support my former school. They all said it was a good idea and we came up with a plan to hold a sports day. The turn-out was excellent, with special need students participating in various sporting activities”.

The event raised £500 and with the help of Brendan’s teacher they successfully donated the money to King George VI School. Brendan received a thank you email from the school in Zimbabwe.

Brendan added:

“I also want to say a big thank you to my classmates, support staff, my teachers especially Ade Bright and all those that made the fund raising event a success. A special thank you to the health and social care students that came to support us during the event. I hope and plan to make it an annual project. Once again thank you to everyone; both participants and donors”.

Click here for more about Additional Learning Suppot at Harrow College.

There are some key dates during the summer which we'd like you to know about.

NOTE: Enrolment for 2018/19 starts on Thursday 23 August 2018 (GCSE results day).

We're also looking forward to career guidance days, results days and more to be added!

Please see below a few key dates for this summer 2018:

If you have any questions, please call us on 0208 909 6000 or email enquiries@harrow.ac.uk 

We have a fantastic team of teachers here at Harrow College and we’d like you to meet them. So, we asked a few teachers the following 5 questions:

• What is your role at Harrow College?
• What teaching experience do you have?
• What do you love most about teaching at Harrow College?
• Why do students enjoy your course?
• Tell us about your most successful students?

Here is what they said:

Panos Nicolaides - Business Studies

I teach Business Studies (BTEC and HNC), Economics and AAT. I try to bring into the classroom my experience in industry and the real world, as best I can. Of course the real world has a habit of spoiling our wonderful theories.

I started in teaching quite late in life and now have 10 years’ experience. Apart from the first two years the rest have been at Harrow College.

Believe it or not what I love about teaching is the students. Watching them grow and acquire knowledge is a real privilege. They never cease to surprise you, sometimes in a daft ways but often in really wonderful ways.

Hopefully it is because I endeavour to make it real and show them how it applies to the real world. I have a real passion for my subject and hope that this shines through.

Shruti Ratna - Science

I am the Science Co-ordinator as well as being a LIC (which stands for Learning Innovation Coach (I basically facilitate teacher training through workshops and coaching). I also teach Biology.

I have about 13 years teaching experience, mainly teaching Biology across a range of programmes (GCSE, A-Level and Applied Science). I have also worked internationally teaching Science and Biology.

I love the warm and friendly atmosphere at Harrow College. Teachers have a good relationship with their students and I feel this motivates students to try their best.

The new Science laboratories have been designed to a high spec with excellent resources to enhance the student experience. The Science teaching staff are very experienced and we run a variety of courses from level 1 to level 3. Our learner’s progress well onto a range of Science disciplines such as Biomedical Science, Engineering, Pharmacy and Medicine.

Last year a high percentage of my A-level Biology learners achieved a high grade, including one who did exceptionally well and secured a place at Maastricht University in Amsterdam to study Science.

Parvaneh Alinaghian - Maths

I am Curriculum Manager for Mathematics.

I have been teaching Maths for more than 20 years at all levels.

What I love most is when I see students work hard and succeed in their course and then progress to the next phase of their life.

While studying Maths, Students grasp that Maths is a profound language and although it is a reasonably neutral subject it is easily combined with other courses, especially Science and this is one reason they enjoy Maths. As a Maths teacher and someone who loves Maths, I share my passion with my learners and this encourages them to study maths. Students are also very well supported.

Student success! Rui Tao is one of my A-level students who participated in the UK senior Maths Challenge and also Senior Kangaroo completions in both 2016 and 2017. In 2016 she was awarded a Certificate of Merit in the Kangaroo Challenge and a gold certificate for the UK Senior Maths Challenge. Rui’s predicted grade is A* and she has achieved an offer from Imperial College to study Chemistry.

Celica Reece - Learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LLDD)

I am a lecturer on the Learning Links course at Harrow College.

I have taught at Harrow College for over 25 years.

Involving the students in every aspect of their learning journey at college.

The Learning Links students are on a life skills course with literacy, ICT and numeracy incorporated into everything they do. They run a shop at college and design and make things for the shop. They do horticulture and learn how to grow and care for plants and run a mini enterprise plant sale. Students have cooking classes and bake for charity events and open days. They take part in art events and join in enrichment activities; at the moment they can choose from swimming or cricket.

One of our staff taught a student to swim as the result of week swimming session at the local pool. When we took her group to the seaside, she swam in the sea for the first time in her life. The staff will never forget the delight she took in the experience.

Kathy Fry - Maths

I teach Maths AS and A level.

As my current age is both a perfect square and a perfect cube, you will be able to deduce that I have many years of teaching experience.

Teaching at Harrow College is hard work, but never boring. And Maths is Fun!

Students will enjoy the satisfaction of solving challenging problems.

Maths A level is difficult work but lessons are interactive with lots of class discussion and banter. Classrooms decorated with attractive, relevant posters and student work. There are opportunities to enter competitions. For those who need some extra support, a “buddy scheme” is available.

A recent student who was successful academically achieved A* in both Maths and Further Maths A levels. She is now studying Physics at Oxford University.

Eduard Niga - ESOL

I teach within the ESOL department as an ESOL English/Maths/IT Lecturer.

I have been teaching since 2008.

The team I work with and the rapport with the students is what I love about teaching at Harrow College.

I think the reason why students enjoy my lessons is because I don't take myself too seriously (I do of course take the job very seriously though 😉 ) and like to have fun during my lessons.

Student success! Hama (his nickname) wasn't one of the strongest students in class, however he kept working hard during his GCSE classes 4 years ago and now, he is at University studying for a Sports degree. He came to see me at the beginning of this academic year and I was really pleased to see how focused and professional he has become.

Helen Sabonjian - ICT

I’m a lecturer in the ICT department. I started at Harrow College on a part-time basis in 1995, teaching basic computing to ESOL students, and now work full-time teaching BTEC Level 3. 

What I love most about my job is that it’s different every year because of the students. Sometimes they’re difficult and sometimes frustrating but 95% of the time they are fun and interesting and a joy to teach. Teaching is a busy and stressful profession but it’s one I enjoy and there’s nothing better than reaching the end of the academic year and seeing how much they’ve grown in confidence and abilities.

I like to keep in touch with students who have left, finding out about their studies at university and their jobs. Many go on to lead very successful careers. One of my ex-tutees achieved top grades here at Harrow, then went on to achieve a First at university and is now in his 2nd year of a Graduate Training Scheme at IBM. I feel very proud of not just that student, but all of them.

Wayne Anthony Wright - Electrical / Construction

I am a Skills Centre lecturer in Electrical engineering.

I have been teaching for the past 10 years, firstly at College of North West London and now Harrow College.

I have always enjoyed the moment when students first understand how a lighting circuit functions and quite literally have that 'Light bulb moment'!

Student success! Jack O'Connor is a former student who successfully completed Level 1 Electrical at the Harrow College Skills Centre and progressed to level 2 and 3 at Whitefriars. After successfully completing his Level 3, he has been working as a self-employed electrician in the local area.

Vishal Raja - Media

I am a Digital Media Lecturer and Media Course Leader with over 10 years’ experience delivering on many creative subjects including Media, Graphics, Art & Design and Photography.

Harrow as a borough and as a college is one of the most diverse places on Earth and I feel privileged to have taught many students from around the world. It is amazing to see so many different cultures within one room learning together as well as being friendly, respectful and building relations with each other.

Students can look forward using professional hardware & software, live client assignment briefs, developing communication, confidence & presentation skills as well as developing practical/technical/media specialist skills.

We have had numerous students’ progress onto various areas of the TV, Film, Visual/Special Effects, Music, Journalism, Marketing industries around the world. Some of ex-students have or are currently working locally at the BBC and Sky Studios; others are working internationally in different film industries like Nollywood (Nigerian), Bollywood (Indian), Tamil (Sri Lanka), & Cinema of Canada. Two of our most decorated learners recently are Rashid Kasirye & Pratik Unia.

Rashid is the co-owner of Link Up TV, a rap promotional channel and website based in London, United Kingdom. Pratik is the founder of Unia Productions, a professional wedding photography and video production team based in London, specialising in Asian weddings.

Harrow College is pleased to announce its partnership with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club to provide first-class training for football students.

Delivered through the club’s charitable arm, the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, coaches from the premiership football team will offer coaching, sports education and mentoring to Harrow College football students.

The unique partnership will offer students enrolled onto the programme an enviable opportunity to excel professionally in the sport.

Trials to join the Football Development Centre under the guidance of coaches from Tottenham Hotspur Foundation will commence at Vale Farm in Wembley on Thursday 12 June and Thursday 3 July, 4pm to 6pm.

Lee Janaway, head of Business, English, Media and Health Studies at Harrow College said that the partnership would create a solid foundation for football students to build upon their fitness and skills.

“We are delighted to sign an agreement with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and we believe they will provide a winning formula to our growing Football Academy.”

Next year the partnership between Harrow College and Tottenham Hotspur will further strengthen with the introduction of a ladies’ football team joining Harrow College’s Football Development Centre.

• Learn more about Harrow College's Education and Football Development Centre in partnership with Tottenham Hotspur 

Film and Media Studies students at Harrow College have been given an insight into the world of film from industry stalwart Emma Freud.

The script editor, producer and director of Red Nose Day spoke to over 60 students in the lecture theatre at Harrow Weald campus on Monday 2 June.

Freud gave students an overview of her career, advice on how to progress within the film, television and radio industries and how to become a successful script writer and editor.

She also discussed working with her partner and director Richard Curtis, as well as Hollywood stars including Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant and Rachel McAdams.

Following the talk students were given a chance to quiz Freud about her career and how students might take their first steps into the film industry.

Freud said that it was important to speak to students about the film industry in order to inspire them to take part and diversify the medium.

“I think that film is an increasingly important cultural lifeline in the UK. It’s only going to be properly vibrant if it represents the entire country, not just those who have gone to film school. The film industry wasn’t like it is now when I was a kid. Now we can share points of debate. Film today is a licence to explore the world.”

Students from Harrow College have taken part in a ceremony celebrating their graduation from InspirEngage's 'Social Enterprise Revolution'.

The students were recognised for their involvement in the social enterprise scheme, founded by former The Apprentice contestant Melody Hossaini, at the refectory at Harrow on the Hill campus on Wednesday 11 June.

Shortly before the students received their certificates they showcased their social enterprise projects to staff and students.

Harrow College joined InspirEngage’s Social Enterprise Revolution as a means of embedding social enterprise into the curriculum and to help create innovative pathways into work for students.

Hair and Beauty, Business and Construction students completed eight InspirEngage ‘bootcamps’ covering essential modules to equip them with the skills and support they needed to launch their own social enterprise projects.

Sharam Moafaq, Level 1 multiskills construction student said "The 'bootcamps' were very good, I enjoyed working in a group and they helped improve both my communication and team building skills."

The InspirEngage team have supported students in their understanding of social enterprise and helping them appreciate the importance in connecting to the community to create positive change.

During their course the students had the opportunity to learn from InspirEngage mentors and successful entrepreneurs, such as Hannah Catmur and Seun Oshinaike.

Hossaini said that she had seen a radical change in the skills and enthusiasm of the students over the course’s duration.

“Amidst a time when there is so much pressure on educational institutions to think innovatively about pathways into work for students, I would like to congratulate Harrow College for adopting social enterprise within their curriculum. This is a very bold step which we feel sets a very positive example for others,” Hossaini said. “Over the course of the year, we have seen positive development in the students, and feel Social Enterprise Revolution finally offers the opportunity for formal education and creative social enterprise to collide.”

Photos from the graduation ceremony can be found here.

BTEC level 3 IT students enjoyed a 'robotics in the making activity' run by BP International.

Twenty three students were challenged to programme Lego robots at the Harrow Hill campus on Thursday 6th June.

The students formed six teams and each team had the use of a ready-made Lego robot and laptop with special software. The students were tasked to programme the robots to make basic moves, for example travelling in a square and returning to the starting point and also more complex moves. They also accomplished adding music to the robots actions.

Yarl Visuvaratnam, computing and IT lecturer, Harrow College said "the students have shown good technical abilities and have put their programming skills to good use. They have learnt to make the best of their skills and have really enjoyed the activity".

A competition was held at the end of their activity with each group showing off their robots programmed manoeuvres.

Photos of the activity can be viewed here. 

Harrow College students have taken part in the final of Barclays Money Skills ‘Built for Business’ enterprise competition.

Four students from the Hair and Beauty department took part in the competition held at Barclays’ head offices in Canary Wharf on Friday 13 June.

The competition was aimed at developing students’ money management, employability and enterprise skills.

Level 2 Beauty students Genesis Williams, Janell English, Shantelle Layman-Boscio and Danielle Perry developed the idea of a ‘Pop-Up Salon’, a mobile salon offering low cost beauty services for people who cannot easily access such treatments, including those in hospitals and retirement homes.

All profits raised from the venture were later used to offer the services of the 'Pop-Up Salon' to patients and visitors at Great Ormond Street Hospital, including face painting for children and hand treatments for parents.

During the competition the students were given five minutes to pitch their business idea to a panel of judges, including Chris Hearn, head of education at Barclays, and Sylvia Perrins, CEO of the National Skills Academy for Financial Services.

Williams was glad to have taken part in the business challenge and said: “It was awesome and we enjoyed every minute of it.”

English added: “We all learnt so much throughout this whole journey and this was the icing on the cake.”

Coron Zammito, Hair and Beauty curriculum manager at Harrow College, who guided the students through their enterprise challenge said that she was impressed by the business aptitude her students had displayed.

“The team were fantastic and very professional. They were brilliant representatives of the Hair and Beauty department. I was extremely proud of what they have achieved.”

There were seven teams taking part in the final, and although Harrow College did not secure first place their entry was commended by the judging panel.

“It’s encouraging to have received so many high quality competition entries and clear that students have benefited from the enterprise focused resources provided to colleges through this year’s Barclays Money Skills ‘weeks’ programme,” said Perrins.

Sonny Peart, Business and Professional Studies curriculum manager at Harrow College, has completed the Edinburgh Marathon in aid of the charity Myeloma UK.

Peart ran the 26.2 mile course in the Scottish capital in an incredible three hours 51 minutes and 38 seconds.

So far, Peart has raised £1,685.94 for Myeloma UK. The charity has particular significance for Peart as his mother was diagnosed last year with AL amyloidosis, a rare, incurable bone marrow condition in which abnormal proteins which the body cannot break down accumulate in various organs, gradually damaging their function.

Peart said that although the race was gruelling at times the whole experience was worth it.

“From the taxi driver who tried to get me close to the marathon start before nipping off to watch his girlfriend in the half marathon, to the EMF2014-finisher-T-shirt-clad folk dotting the city the day after the race, everyone conspired to make me and other runners feel welcome. I was even able to laugh inwardly when running past a house from which blared 500 Miles by The Proclaimers. No doubt they do that every year.

“I enjoyed my race, my time in Edinburgh and my months of training, supported by friends and family. [They] helped me improve my running beyond measure, and helped me raise more than £1500 for Myeloma UK.”

If you would like to sponsor Peart and donate money to Myeloma UK you can do so here: www.justgiving.com/sonny-peart.

Myeloma is a cancer arising from plasma cells, a type of white blood cell normally responsible for producing antibodies that help fight infection. In myeloma, these plasma cells become abnormal, multiply uncontrollably and release only one type of antibody which has no useful function.

Myeloma UK is the only UK charity focused on providing valuable information and support to people affected by myeloma. It has a strategic partnership with the National Amyloidosis Centre (NAC) at the Royal Free Hospital in London, the only centre in the UK specialising in amyloidosis. 

Harrow College students have celebrated the end of the academic year at the ESOL Sports Day.

The annual sporting event, curated by ESOL students and staff, was held at the college’s Harrow Weald campus on Wednesday 18 June.

During the day students who are currently studying on ESOL courses took part in their own mini-World Cup football tournament, track and field events and a game of tug-o-war.

Spectators and competitors were also treated to food stalls with cuisines from around the world, as well as people offering henna hand art and caricature portraits.

After all races and events had concluded the winning students were presented with their medals and trophies from Harrow College Principal Tony Medhurst.

“ESOL Sports Day is one of the highlights of Harrow College’s summer calendar. Watching students participate in track races, football tournaments and tug-o-war has been great fun, not only for those participating but those watching from the sidelines as well,” said Medhurst.

•Learn more about our ESOL courses, which are specifically designed for students with English as a second language. 

Harrow College is pleased to announce that its proposal for a new build project at its Harrow Weald campus has been approved by Harrow Council’s planning committee.

The new teaching block will offer enhanced facilities for the college’s learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LLDD students).

The new building will include a centralised flexible learning zone and courtyard, sensory room, additional classrooms and increased facilities specifically for LLDD students.

The development will be towards the back of Harrow College’s Weald campus and involves the redevelopment and part demolition of the existing Gaskell building which has been identified as an unsuitable facility for LLDD students.

Students from Harrow College have made the annual visit to the heart of Britian's wartime code-breaking effort.

AS Maths and BTEC IT students attended the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, on Thursday 19 June.

The students were given a tour of the site, its museum, as well as shown the Enigma machine, which was used during the Second World War to encipher and decipher secret messages and helped shorten the war by two years.

As part of the tour the students took part in a talk which gave an insight into the mathematical aspects of the Enigma machine, as well as take part in a giant chess game to illustrate the need to think logically and recognise patterns as a means to decode messages.

Student Amadeusz Sobczynski said that the visit had given him a greater understanding of the war effort.

"What was most interesting for me was discovering the way a host of nations, including in particular Poland, went about revealing the secrets of the Enigma machine to help shorten the war. We saw reconstructions of, arguably, the two most important machines in decoding secret messages, the Bombe and the Colossus, and I was astonished by their complexity. They are physical proof of how much hard work the decoders from Bletchley Park had to do."

Bletchley Park, which had in recent years been left to fall into decay, was re-opened this month following a restoration project funded by the National Lottery, Google and internet security firm McAfee.