Students at Harrow College have been visited by employees from a number of leading organisations in an initiative aimed at providing the young learners with an insight into working life and the actions they can take now to benefit their future careers.

The event took place over a week (21-25 Nov) with the employees visiting students during class time at both the Harrow on the Hill campus and the Harrow Weald campus. Students listened intently as the guests spoke about their journeys from education to employment.

Companies represented included Sony Mobile, Microsoft, Just Eat, Salesforce, Northwick Park Hospital and others. Many of the speakers gave tips on what the students could do now. Networking was a recurring topic with student being encouraged to grow their contacts and connections from all walks of life using the LinkedIn online social network tool. Others spoke about the importance of developing skills, taking opportunities and building work experience to successfully climb the career ladder.

Alicia Yap, Marketing Professional from Sony Mobile encouraged students to be positive, work hard and smart, be patient, listen a lot, and keep an open mind. Ultimately, her advice to students was to follow their passion and to not be afraid of trying something new.

The event was delivered by Working Knowledge - a social enterprise that exists to open the eyes of business to the young talent available locally. Working Knowledge have many years’ experience of partnering with the Further and Higher Education sectors to support the education of full time learners through employer engagement. This event is just one aspect of the project which Working Knowledge are delivering at Harrow College, with further employer engagement to come in January and April 2017.

Speaking at the end of the week which students described as being ‘inspiring’ and ‘motivating’, Chloe Rendall, Director of Quality, Teaching, Learning & Innovation at Harrow College said:

“The scale of this project event has been incredible and students (and staff) have engaged directly with so many employers who are keen to have an active input into our curriculum across all levels and programmes. It is a fantastic opportunity to bring the curriculum to life, raising the aspirations of our students and enabling them to understand what it is they also need to do to be successful”.

Click here for more on Careers and Employability at Harrow College.

An Open Day was held today at Harrow College’s Spring House for parents of students with Learning Difficulties or Disabilities (LLDD), to introduce them to the new and improved facilities offered at the college. The event was well attended by parents from both in and out of the borough.

Parents were introduced to the new ‘Safe Zone’ at Spring House, a specialised, secure area for PMLD students (Profound Multiple Learning Difficulties). The area comprises of a secure entry into a break out space which leads to the Therapies, Sensory, IT and Art rooms. In the sensory classroom area students will be able to have their daily yoga and physiotherapy sessions moving on through the week, enjoying an interactive curriculum. The IT room has a large, adaptable touch screen for games, literacy, numeracy and many other learning and fun activities to engage students. The Art room is adapted to ensure all students are able to be creative, developing their artistic talents. The hub is the break out area, giving students the opportunity for social interaction, making friends and developing their social skills. The Safe Zone is completely secure environment, all PMLD students will transition from school to this environment to enable them to feel secure as they progress and interact with college life. These facilities will complement the New Outlooks course beginning in September 2017.

The course is suitable for PMLD students aged 16+ will take 2-3 years to complete depending on the individual student. The curriculum is student-led to combine subjects, promote independence and will be delivered with a ‘family of 4’ approach involving the student, the college, home and professionals.
Terry Knight, curriculum manager for the provision said, “The new course and facilities will cater to the growing demand in Harrow and neighbouring boroughs for more local PMLD facilities and services and Harrow College will be aiding this local provision.”

Speaking on the New Outlooks course for PMLD students, Lorna Toussaint, Medical and Rehab assistant also said, “The Safe Zone provides a homely and secure environment for the students. Depending on their individual progress they can transition into other areas of the building/campus. This progress is very much individualised and is a slow process taking into consideration that no two students are alike”.

Liz Tattle, Lecturer for Entry Programmes conducted a complete tour of the facilities for parents while answering their questions. Parents who attended were happy to get an insight into this specialist provision. In addition to the Safe Zone, visitors were also shown other areas of Spring House, including the sensory room, classrooms, kitchen and courtyard.

To book a one to one to discuss your son or daughters needs and to know more about the PMLD New Outlooks course at Harrow College, please email ltattle@harrow.ac.uk or phone 020 8909 6000.

Maths students from Harrow College have pitted their wits again some of the UK's brightest young mathematicians in two tests of Maths skill, nerve and application.

On Tuesday 8 November, five students attempted the UK Senior Mathematical Challenge, a national competition for individual students, taking the form of a multi - choice exam paper with interesting and unusual questions. As a result, Hao Chen, Jiangzhi Gao and Roxana Hrib were awarded bronze certificates, while Rui Tao was awarded a gold certificate. Rui's performance was so good that it qualified her to enter for a more advanced competition, the British Mathematical Olympiad, which is described as "a very difficult paper intended for exceptional students".

On Monday 14 November, a team of four Maths students attended Merchant Taylors' School in Northwood to compete against other schools and colleges in the Middlesex heat of the Senior Team Maths Challenge (STMC), jointly organised by the UK Mathematics Trust (UKMT) and the Further Maths Support Programme. The STMC is a UK-wide challenge testing mathematical, communication and teamwork skills, with students competing against other schools and colleges from their region.

The team, consisting of Hao Chen, Rucha Joshi, Jiangzhi Gao and Rui Tao, competed in three rounds - a group round, a cross-number and a "shuttle round" where the answer from one question is used to answer the next question.

Although the team did not progress into the next round, the practice sessions prior to the competition and the event itself were valuable activities for the students to be involved in.

Maths Lecturer and team mentor Kathy Fry from Harrow College said "We have entered this competition every year since 2008 and it is always a worthwhile experience for the team, stretching them mathematically and showing them that Maths can be fun and is not just a subject you learn in order to pass exams."

Well done to the team from Harrow College.

Click here for more about Maths courses at Harrow College.

During 2016, Architecture, Interior and Product design students from Harrow College went out into the community to put their skills into practice as well as to meet new people and broaden their experiences.

The first success story relates to former student Esterra Badelita (left image). Esterra’s work was on display at the Harrow College end of year exhibition back in 2016. It was there where Claire Linge, Education officer at the newly opened Heath Robinson Museum in Pinner, met Estrerra and offered her a paid commission to build a model based on a book of illustrations called ‘Living in Flats’ by Heath Robinson (William Heath Robinson 1872 – 1944, was a famous illustrator and cartoonist who was best known for drawings of complicated machines achieving simple objectives). Esterra worked over her summer holiday and was invited to attend the official opening of the museum to see her work on display.

Following this, during the autumn half term last year, a group Year 1 Architecture, Interior and Product design students were invited to complete a short period of work experience at the Heath Robinson Museum. They ran a workshop for local children to celebrate the Hindu festival of Diwali. The workshop saw students helping children to stick coloured plastic onto patterns which they had designed to create stained glass windows. Over 120 local children took part and the museum has invited Harrow College students to run the event again next year.

Towards the end of the year, in December 2016, Year 2 Architecture, Interior and Product design students returned to the museum as part of their Harrow Expo project where they designed, produced and installed decorations for the museum shop and activity room. These decorations were welcomed by the trustees of the museum and again the students have been invited to repeat the activity next year.

In addition to this, A-level and BTEC Architecture, Interior and Product design students have been working on a number of projects with Harrow Councils Regeneration Department. This has included a number of work experience days where students have helped run public consultation events for new flats being developed on the site of Vaughan Road car park. The students helped meet and greet the public and have also based a design project on the new development. In December 2016, the lead architect from Adam Khan Architects, who won the pitch to design the flats, visited Harrow College and talked to the student's in depth about the new flat development. Over 40 intrigued students attended the talk.

Click here for more on Art and Design related courses at Harrow College.

In November 2016, the Counselling Department at Harrow College was approached by Place2be with the offer of providing training for trainee counsellors. Place2be is the leading provider of counselling to young people in schools in the UK. The 2 day training provided an induction to working therapeutically with children.

This marks a new development for the Harrow College department. The training was followed by interviews for those trainees who wished to have placements working with children. Many of those who attended have now secured placements and will work in schools.

It is hoped that the Harrow College Trainee Counsellors will be able to make a significant contribution to the local community and provide a much needed service, especially at a time when financial cut backs have significantly reduced the provision of therapy to children and adolescents.

The training was very much valued by the trainees who learnt a great deal from the two day workshop. Commenting after the sessions, one described the training as “an amazing experience”. Another who benefited from the session said “We were led through training by very experienced, knowledgeable and inspiring trainers”. The general feedback was captured well by another trainee who said “The whole weekend was very practical, informative and relevant for anyone wishing to or working with children”.

Michael Lyons, Counselling Coordinator and lecturer at Harrow College said:

“It is now planned to make this a regular and integral part of our training. We welcome the opportunity of the partnership and we look forward to working collaboratively”.

Click here for more about Counselling courses at Harrow College

Harrow College celebrated the graduation of their newly qualified Psychodynamic Counsellors at a special event in late November 2016. The new graduates were each awarded with a Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling.

The event was held at the Grimm’s Dyke hotel in Harrow Weald where guests were treated to a graduation ceremony and lunch. The newly qualified graduates proudly donned gowns and hats to collect their awards and pose for photos.

Harrow College has a long and proud tradition of teaching Counselling at various levels to hundreds of people. This specific Level 4 graduation however, was the first in association with the CPCAB (Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body).

 The course content comprehensibly covers key aspects of working effectively as a therapist. A range of common mental health problems are studied as well as looking at how early childhood experiences can impact on personality structure. The importance of working in line with an ethical framework is crucial to this field of work and is stressed throughout the course programme. Trainees also have to complete at least 100 supervised hours working with patients in an organisational setting.

The graduates can look forward to varied career opportunities – from working in the NHS, roles in the voluntary sector or even setting up their own private practice. As therapists, they will work with people who have a range of mental health issues including children in schools, centres which specialise in addictions, support for refugees and some will work in local MIND centres.

One proud graduate said “The tutor support was second to none and I could not have asked for any more. My passion for counselling was ignited from the very first class by my tutors enthusiasm and extensive experience - I can’t thank them enough”.

Michael Lyons, Counselling Coordinator and Lecturer at Harrow College said “Our commitment to training to the highest possible ethical and professional standards remains paramount. The work which the trainees do plays a vital role in the local community. Trainees find that the training changes them as people in ways which they had not expected and they value that growth. The change which their patients undergo is likewise life changing. We wish the new therapists a long and rewarding career”.

Click here for more information about Counselling related courses at Harrow College.

Harrow College students are delighted to be in full use of a brand new, state of the art facility for Health and Social Care training which opened in October 2017. 

Health and wellbeing is a growing area for employment locally and nationally, with new emerging specialist areas such as dementia care and autism care. This visually exciting, purpose built building extends to 1,305 m2 across two floors; it will be a regional hub for health care training, providing training for students at levels 1, 2, 3, 4 together with specialist professional/CPD opportunities for employers.

Alongside state of the art classrooms and IT facilities, specialist suites within the building include:

• Domestic care suite, where students can learn how to look after vulnerable adults in a home setting (image above)

• Orthopaedic care suite, for hands-on experience of handling clients getting in/out of hospital beds and learning how to operate the beds (image above)

• Nutrition laboratory, where specialist health diets can be devised and prepared (image above)

• Exercise suite, where students can learn about exercises suitable for specific health needs

• Triage room, for learning how to assess the needs of vulnerable clients in emergency situations

The new building is part-funded by a grant from the London Enterprise Partnership; designed by IBI Group and constructed by Ashe Ltd. Located on our tranquil Care Campus, in the Green Belt at Harrow Weald, it is built to a very high environmental standard (BREEAM Excellent), reflecting the College’s commitment to sustainability.

Click here for more on Health & Social Care courses at Harrow College.

Careers College at Harrow College have one core objective – a career focus which brings students closer to employers. With that in mind, IT Career College students were treated to a rare opportunity by visiting one of Amazon’s newest London locations. The visit gave students an insight into daily life behind the doors of one of the words largest e-commerce businesses.

With operations in 138 locations across 32 countries worldwide, Amazon have revolutionized e-shopping. In 2015, Amazon opened another base in London with a 46,000 sq ft fashion photography studio – said to be one of the largest of its kind in Europe, providing images for its fashion business across the continent. More than 1m fashion items were sold in a week on Amazon.co.uk in the run up to Christmas last year.

Upon arrival, a team from Amazon met the excited group who were shown a presentation introducing them to life at the Amazon fashion Studios. This was followed by a guided tour, where the group were shown how clothes arrive, how they are prepared and then how they move around the studio – all in a 3 day turn around. The students met staff along the way who provided an insight into what they do in their day to day jobs.

Following a lunch break, the students got in on the action with the Amazon creative team. With a focus on photography and digital technology, staff from Amazon showed students how to shoot photos as well as star in them as fashion models. Creative staff edited photos and showed how final photos are selected.

For the students, the day was thoroughly enjoyable but also very insightful. They learnt what it is like to work in a large organisation (and sub sections of a large organisation). They saw first-hand how important team work is to running a successful business. They also met a number of employees and learnt about being in full time work, what skills are used and what core competencies are required on a daily basis.

Sultan Soukani, Senior Curriculum Manager for ICT and Business at Harrow College accompanied the students. He commented “Taking students on visits to companies is great because they get to see “real life”. They get the chance to meet lots of different people and experience their working environment. It widens their horizons and helps to give them a focus for the future. We intend to take students on more visits just like this to other companies who we have strong connections with”.

Harrow College offer Career Colleges in IT and Business related subjects. These courses have carefully designed programmes, which incorporate core academic elements with highly practical vocational and technical education. In short, the curriculum of each Career College is designed by employers, for employment. Students get involved in industry projects and develop enterprise and communication skills, to prepare them for work and life.

Ruth Gilbert, Chief Executive of the Career Colleges Trust, recently commented on the importance of Careers College – “We must actively provide young people with exposure to the workplace, project-based learning, and indeed employers - opening up career choices and preparing the next generation for employment”.

Click here for more on Careers Colleges at Harrow College

A team of A-Level Economics students from Harrow College has visited the Bank of England to put their monetary knowledge to the test.

On Thursday 24 November, a team of five students – Zak Coleman, Sara Khaleqyar, Anmit Singh Khurana, Hamna Malik and Venelina Urlachka entered Bank of England HQ in central London as a shadow Monetary Policy Committee (the committee that decides the UK’s interest rates). Their challenge was to present a national interest rate recommendation to the Bank of England.

The team, competing with 6 other schools in this heat, studied the competition brief and put together their plan. They considered a number of factors including future predictions, economic variables and international matters. Their recommendations were then presented to a panel of Bank of England resident economists.

The competition was tough as expected but the team did themselves and Harrow College proud by putting together a wonderfully professional and informative presentation. Although the team did not go through, it was a magnificent effort and will encourage a new team to take on the challenge next year.

Speaking about the competition, Harrow College Economics Lecturer Panos Nicolaides said "the brief was very difficult and required many considerations. The Harrow College team did an extremely good job of putting together a well thought out plan and presented very confidently. The experience has been invaluable and feedback from the Bank of England panel was very positive. A fantastic effort by all".

Click here for more information abour Economics and Business courses at Harrow College.

A former IT student who secured a top graduate employment job with IBM has returned to Harrow College to share his story and inspire current students to follow in his footsteps.

Back in September 2010, Anthony Birley enrolled onto a BTEC Level 3 ICT course at Harrow College with the desire of one day, working within the IT industry. He carefully selected this course at Harrow College due to the specific course modules on offer which would help to broaden his knowledge and develop key computing skills.

With support from IT staff together with a work hard ethic, Anthony took full advantage of the opportunities the course provided him including designing websites, building computers, using animation tools, speaking at events and more. On completion of his two-year course, Anthony had achieved the highest possible grade – a triple distinction star (D*D*D*).

Anthony moved on to university where he would go on to secure a First-class honours degree. Before long, Anthony had secured a top graduate role with IBM – one of the leaders within the IT industry where Anthony had earlier enjoyed a university work placement year.

A very proud Anthony was honoured to be welcomed back to Harrow College to meet his former tutors (Pictured left with former tutor Helen Sabonjian) and speak with current IT students about his journey from education to employment. Anthony spoke in detail about the importance of hard work, to always believe in yourself and to pursue your ambitions. An audience of over 100 aspiring IT students listened on with admiration as well as inspiration.

Speaking after his talk, Anthony said:

“I felt very proud to return to Harrow College. Having been in their position just a few years ago, I can relate to what the current students are experiencing which is why I was so keen to speak with them. I was also very passionate about providing them with the knowledge that I have on work placement and graduate schemes, application processes, voluntary work and more. I have every confidence that these students will follow in my footsteps, especially due to the excellent qualifications and services that Harrow College provide".

Click here for more information about IT courses at Harrow College

Following previous success with international training programmes, Harrow College were delighted to welcome a new delegation from Kenya last term, looking to develop their key staff training skills. 

Working in close partnership with Evolve Global Solutions Ltd – dedicated providers of education, training and specialist consultancy support for both the UK & international education and business sector - Harrow College welcomed the group of budding Kenyan trainers through its doors.

The group were all employees from the Kenyan Maritime Authority (KMA) - a government department in Kenya responsible for shipping and marine administration, maritime safety and security, and preservation of the marine environment. Trainers at KMA initially completed PTLLS ‘Preparing to Teach’ Level 3 a few years ago and were now seeking to upskill trainers to a Level 4 teacher training qualification.

During their 6-week stay in the UK, the students attended multiple study sessions at Harrow College. With the help and support of expert teacher training staff, the students increased their knowledge of teaching theory and techniques and experimented with new ways of developing / evaluating learning programmes and delivering training. The tailor-made course consisted of taught sessions, supervised research, assignments, presentations, professional discussions and micro teach sessions as well as cultural visits and activities.

Charles Mutai, one of the students, said “I will definitely return to Harrow College for my level 5 in Learning and Development as a result of the really impressive level of teaching we received which was intensive, absorbing and totally enjoyable”.

Lucy Akinlosotu, Professional Training and Higher Education Manager at Harrow College commented “we are very proud of our work with EU and non-EU students and colleagues in various areas, including teaching and learning, entrepreneurship and education leadership. The KMA team were a pleasure to host and their visit was another enriching and energising experience filled with focused work, sharing experiences, learning on both parts and lots of laughter. We aim to continue working with groups and individuals from every corner of the globe”.

A new delegation from Kenya has now arrived in the UK and is commencing a 6-week teacher training programme at Harrow College starting this week (w/c 2nd Jan, 2017).

Click here for more on Teacher Training at Harrow College

Harrow College is inviting local businesses to attend a free open-event aimed at providing more information about the forthcoming Apprenticeship Levy tax. The levy will impact every employer, training provider and learner across England from April 2017.

From 6th April 2017 employers will be required to contribute to a new apprenticeship levy tax. Employers, in any sector, with a pay bill of more than £3 million each year, will be required to pay the levy. Within 36 months, SME’s will also have to pay this levy so it is crucial that preparations start now. However, employers can benefit from the levy by taking on and training apprentices. Apprentices who have been accepted on to an apprenticeship programme before April 2017 will be funded for the full duration of the apprenticeship.

This introduction of the levy forms part of the government’s promise of 3 million apprentices by 2020 and will help provide valuable skills and training. Around the world, apprenticeships have long been recognised as a crucial way to develop the skills wanted by employers. For the students themselves, Apprenticeships will become a very viable alternative to University as the qualifications will go up to degree level.

Harrow College wants to provide its community and wider London with all the facts so employers can prepare themselves for the upcoming changes. This event is suited to all employers, whether they will be levy paying or not. It will also be suitable for anyone with a vested interest in apprenticeships, whether it be someone looking at taking on an apprentice or someone who works in the training industry seeking more information.

Business are encouraged to find out how the Apprenticeship levy tax will affect them. The aim of the event is to support and guide employers to understand the intended impact, with assistance to plan and prepare for the change. The event will include a presentation, information about incentives and employer benefits as well as a Q&A session. The Harrow College apprenticeship team will be available throughout to speak to employers on a one to one basis. Refreshments will be provided.

The free ‘Get ready for the Apprenticeship levy’ event takes place in the Enterprise Centre at Harrow College (Harrow on the Hill campus) on Thursday 26th January, 8.30am to 10am and again on Wednesday 1st February, 4.30pm to 6pm. For more information, email Katy Bagnall or click here to register.

Harrow College’s focus on IT employability has continued into 2017 with the visits of IT powerhouses IBM and Sky already noted. The visits are part of a weekly employability afternoon which has been embedded into the student curriculum.

Employability and career focus, especially around IT, is already an integral part of education at Harrow College. In 2015, two specialist Career Colleges were launched (one of which is dedicated to Digital and Creative) where employers directly engage with course material and help shape study programmes. By working to employer briefs and having the opportunity to engage with organisations both inside college but also off-site during company visits, students are brought even closer to the industry they aspire to work in.

Last week (16 Jan), Ian Morton, Senior Developer at Sky, visited IT students. The college lecture theatre was filled with eager students who listened intently as they learnt about life as an IT Developer and what goes on behind the scenes at Sky. Students were shown how and why IT impacts lots of different departments at Sky including Sky News and Sky Sports.

The importance of gaining work experience was a recurring theme. Whether it’s just a day volunteering or longer term paid employment, work experience is valuable on so many levels. From gaining an insight into the life of work through to learning new skills and meeting new people – all of which help to build up a student’s CV and show future employers their passion for the industry.

Other recent IT employability activities at Harrow College include Digital and Creative Careers College students visiting one of Amazon’s newest London offices and this link will continue with work on a live brief, to be given out at Amazon next month. Guest speakers to the college in recent weeks have included representation from IBM and Tata – the latter inviting students to help design the company’s internal communication platform. More guest speakers and employer engagement is planned as Harrow College continue to focus on employability and career development for its students.

Click here for more information on IT courses at Harrow College.

A group of students with varying levels of Autism have recently proven that with determination, passion and teacher support, achieving your educational goal is always possible.

The OCR Level 2 Extended Certificate in IT group consists of 10 students, focussing primarily on Game Design & Development and Animation units. They are based at the Harrow Weald campus however spend a day at the Harrow on the Hill campus once a week (where most will be based next year) to support their campus / course transition.

The group deliberately has only one main lecturer - Stella Polydorou (although they have different maths and English lecturers) - having only one lecturer helps alleviate their anxiety and stress. There are also 2 Learning and Support Assistants in every lesson so student support is always high.

Stella uses her specialised dyslexic training techniques in each lesson and adapts them according to each student’s different learning style. A great benefit of smaller group sizes is the one-to-one focus each student receives each day meaning Stella is able to understand how each student prefers to work and how to maximise their output.

Social skills training is also incorporated within the curriculum as well as active listening and speaking exercises. A significant improvement in communication and social skills has been recorded in all of Stella’s students. There is a great work ethic within the group and attendance is excellent. More so, all students to date have achieved a Distinction level in the Gaming unit.

Scott O'Brien, one of the students from the groups said:

“I was really apprehensive about joining Harrow College and a new class as I have social and communication difficulties and do not like change. It took 2 months to feel comfortable with my lecturer, support staff and my class friends. I now feel I belong to my group, I can now talk to other students, and even go lunch with 3 of them, which is a great social progress for me and this is because of how the group is formed and how the teachers help us communicate with each other”

Click here for more information on IT courses at Harrow College.

Learning Links / Life Skills and LLDD students (learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities) from Harrow College have been invited by Headstone Manor Museum to take part in a special project, bringing together both history and creativity.

Having worked with the museum before, students were invited back to take part in a project which is focussed on Whitefriars Glass. In the mid 1800’s Whitefriars Glass were one of the world leaders in glass production and stain glass windows. The Whitefriars factory, which later moved to Wealdstone, closed in the 1980's. Some of the students involved in the project had relatives who worked there. The site is also now the site of the Harrow College Whitefriars Training Centre, used by students pursuing construction and engineering related careers. 

The project with Harrow College is taking place over the academic year. Staff from the museum regularly visit the college to give entertaining talks upon which the students then create artwork. The project consists of making stained glass windows and scenes from the factories. The newly created pieces of work are then presented to the museum who in time will animate the artwork, culminating in a film later in the year. The filmmaker, commissioned by the museum, has visited Harrow College to film some of the talks and film students at work. The film is an animated piece about the history of Whitefriars.

Speaking about the project, Sarah Alison Pike, Supported Learning Lecturer for Entry and LLDD at Harrow College said “It's a really great project for us to take part in and the students are enjoying it and making some fantastic work. The museum staff love coming to see our students and deliver the talks”.

The completed artwork will be exhibited in the museum and the film shared on the museum website and Facebook pages. Excitingly, there has already been some interest expressed in the project by other museums that have Whitefriars glass pieces in their collection. The glassware is very desirable and sought after.

Click here for more on Entry and LLD course at Harrow College

A student at Harrow College is the happy owner of a new Apple iPad after posting a selfie onto social media during her college enrolment.

The enrolment process at any new school or college can sometimes be a daunting time for new students – walking into a new building, meeting new teachers and choosing new courses is a big occasion. The approach by Harrow College was to make this day interactive and as fun as possible for the new students.

Last summer, Harrow College made a number of changes to their student enrolment days meaning the complete process was an even smoother transition - from entering the college reception through to leaving the college with new timetable in hand. More so, with social media on everybody’s fingertips, a selfie posting buzz was also spreading around the college. An Apple iPad was up for grabs for one lucky enrolled student who posted a selfie using the hashtag #JoinHarrow (as well as a £50 gift voucher for the runner up). Before long, Harrow College social media feeds were filling up with selfie posts from newly enrolled students, posing proudly with their Harrow College enrolment packs.

From all of the posts made across Twitter and Instagram, one lucky winner was selected at random at the beginning of the new term. The winner, 17 year old Bedour Al-Shameri (photo above), received a new Apple iPad. The runner up award went to Yumis Zyutyu aged 18. Both students were absolutely delighted with their prizes.

Speaking after the prize presentations, Harrow College Vice Principal Dylan McTaggart said “Harrow College is always looking at new ways to engage with students. Using digital technology and social media is something we can all relate to and posting a selfie in this way was lots of fun. I am pleased that enrolment at the college in 2016 went so well - we’re already looking ahead to enrolment in 2017”.

Log into Twitter or Instagram and search #JoinHarrow to see some of the posted selfies for yourself.

A new student incentive aimed at encouraging maximum student attendance during the college term has proved very popular. The ‘100 Club’ programme, launched at the beginning of the summer term, offers students the chance of winning £100 worth of rewards per month in return for 100% attendance. Those who achieve the attendance milestone are entered into a draw to win the top prize.

The fun initiative follows a number of similar schemes which aim to highlight the importance of high attendance at college. By promoting initiatives in this way, the College aim to not only raise awareness of something very important, but also reward those who put in the extra effort to attend college every day.

578 students achieved 100% attendance in November and 719 students achieved the same in December, all of whom were entered into a draw to win the top prize. The lucky winners, drawn at random for November, were Nirusha Manirangan (left photo), aged 18. December’s prize was awarded to Mahdi Bouchelaala, aged 16 (main photo above)). January’s winner is yet to be announced. The monthly incentive scheme will run until late June 2017 with winners being celebrated each month on the college student online portal.

Speaking about the success of the programme, Harrow College Vice-Principal Dylan McTaggart said:

“Attendance is a key priority for Harrow College students to achieve their very best. Students are re-entered into the 100 club monthly and so can still achieve the mighty 100% target if they haven't quite made it in the previous month. We continue to celebrate students who show true dedication to completing their programmes of study and support the college in maintaining high student attendance”.

Click here if you would like to attend our next Open Days in March 2017.

Sports students from Harrow College have completed a course with Boccia England called the ‘Boccia Young Officials Award’. The course introduced the sixteen young students to the skills and knowledge required to be an effective Boccia official.

Boccia is a precision ball sport, related to bowls. The aim of the game is to throw leather balls — coloured red or blue as close as they can to a white target ball, or jack. The sport is contested by athletes with severe physical disabilities. In 1984, it became a Paralympic sport, and in 2008 was being practised in over fifty countries worldwide.

This specific course was designed to cover the important elements of refereeing a game of Boccia within the community and to support organisations such as the London Youth Games (Europe's largest youth sports festival) with forthcoming event in 2017.

By completing the course in early February 2017, the students now have a detailed understanding of the different roles and responsibilities of a Boccia official, as well as the rules of Boccia and the development of skills to apply these rules in a game situation. The course will also support the students to complete a unit from their BTEC Sports course called "Rules, Regulation and Officiating in Sport".

Philip Munroe, Curriculum Coordinator for Sport at Harrow College, organised the course. As a previously qualified Boccia official himself, Philip recognised that this course would enable students to obtain an additional qualification whilst also developing their ability of supporting less able body participants within sport. Commenting after the course, Philip said “the future goal is to develop our learners within this sport so they can progress to becoming regional officials and support clubs up and down the country”.

Click here for more information on Sports courses at Harrow College

The Harrow College open days will give prospective students, as well as their family and friends, the opportunity to meet staff, discuss courses and get a feel for life at the FE College. The first open day takes place at the Harrow on the Hill campus (Lowlands Road, Harrow, HA1 4AQ) on Saturday 11th March 2017, 10am to 1pm. The second open day will take place at the Harrow Weald campus (Brookshill, Harrow Weald, HA3 6RR) on Thursday 23rd March 2017, 4pm to 7pm.

Tutors across all subject areas will be available to provide information and letting you know more about the courses on offer at all levels. Whether you’re a school leaver, a young learner looking for a college place, a mature learner looking for a part-time course to boost your skills or if it’s apprenticeships you’re interested in, the open days will help you find a course to suit.

The Careers team will also be on hand to provide information, advice and guidance. Whether students are unsure about which course to study next or simply want to know what their options are before to help them decide, the Careers team will be happy to address questions.

The open days are also a great opportunity to see first-hand the excellent facilities that Harrow College has to offer. This includes new science labs to media edit suites, beauty salons to student gym facilities, the flagship Enterprise Centre and the new Spring House which supports learning need students to name but a few. Student ambassadors will be available to show guests around both campuses as well as offering their perspective on student life at Harrow College.

The open days will give all prospective students a great opportunity to explore the college campuses, meet staff and students and see state of the art facilities. To register, click here. For more information, call 0208 909 6000.

Four Sports students aged 18-20 from Harrow College could soon be stepping out on to the home of Cricket – Lords, to umpire a cricket match. The students, currently studying Level 1 and Level 2 courses at the college, have signed up to complete The London Youth Games Introductory Cricket Umpiring Course, run in conjunction with the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board).

The one day intensive training course run by London Youth Games (Europe's largest youth sports festival), sees budding umpires learn about the roles and responsibilities of umpiring. They also get to experience a practical demonstration of the format used in London Youth Games indoor cricket.

In order to complete the course and receive their award, the trainee umpires are then required to officiate at the London Youth Games Indoor Cricket qualifier games which take place at Harrow Leisure Centre in February. There, each student will independently umpire a separate match and then feedback their results to the head official on the day.

The completion of the course will climax with the final at Lords in March 2017.

Click here for more information on Sports courses at Harrow College.