Collyer's

CREST STARS!
COLLYER’S STUDENTS ARE CREST FOR SUCCESS!

The results of the CREST awards were announced this week, with Collyer’s students achieving nine Gold and two Silver awards.

Caroline Birch, Collyer’s Joint Head of Biology, explained: “This British Science Association scheme for STEM project work involves independent research, writing and referencing on an area/experiment of the students choosing, representing either more than 30 hours work for Silver award and over 70 hours of work for Gold - a considerable body of work!”

CREST is a national scheme that inspires young people to think and behave like scientists and engineers.
Rob Hussey, Collyer’s Vice Principal (Curriculum) was thrilled: “Students used their own ideas and came up with projects to work on independently during Collyer’s enrichment sessions. It is often said that CREST is the scientific equivalent to the Duke of Edinburgh Award and the results announced represent an amazing achievement. These students really are CREST stars!”
Caroline Birch added: “The variety of projects was outstanding, experiments included work on the effect of invasive species in freshwater ecosystems and impact of pH on teeth. Research projects covered topics such as the benefits and disadvantages of daydreaming and the mechanisms and possible medical applications of immortality in different organisms. The projects were fascinating to read and are a fantastic achievement by our young scientists in training!”

Collyer’s Deputy Principal Steve Martell said: “We have an excellent Biology department, and these students are a credit to Collyer’s and their brilliant teachers.”

We are looking to recruit an Adult Education Adviser to join our current team. For this post, you will need to have a customer service focus, good IT skills, great attention to detail and accuracy and the ability to prioritise tasks and follow through. Previous experience of managing educational data and funding regulations would be advantageous, but training will be provided.

For further details and how to apply please see our website:

Vacancies - Collyer's The college is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and all successful candidates are required to apply for an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) disclosure.

We have a vacancy for a catering and cafe assistant to prepare and serve snacks and drinks to our staff and students. It is a part time term time role. For full details please see our website.

Catering & Café Assistant - Collyer's We are seeking a Catering & Cafe Assistant to join our team in providing a high quality catering service to our students and staff. The role will be based mainly in our onsite Café preparing and serving hot and cold drinks and snacks to our students and staff. If you would enjoy working in a busy e...

We have a vacancy for a Technology Technician to provide support for students on the 3D Design and Engineering courses. Preparing and maintaining equipment, monitoring stock and assisting with exhibitions.

This is a part time term time post. For full details please see our website:

Vacancies - Collyer's The college is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and all successful candidates are required to apply for an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) disclosure.

COLLYER’S PLAY LEADING ROLE AT FILM FESTIVAL
SIXTH HORSHAM FILM FESTIVAL CELEBRATES TALENT AT EVERYMAN THEATRE
The sixth Horsham Film Festival dazzled audiences at the Everyman Cinema last week, bringing together a mix of local creativity, emerging talent, and industry professionals for a glamorous evening of film celebration and networking. This year’s event once again saw Collyer’s College well-represented, both on screen and behind the scenes, with students and alumni showcasing their impressive work. The event was organised by Geoff Cockwill and Elodie Davies of Silvertip Films and invited entries across eight categories, including best documentary (both over and under 18), best drama, best comedy, and two 'your district' categories.
For the second year running, Collyer’s staff played a significant role on the judging panel, with Rebecca Moon, Head of Creative Digital Media Production, and Stuart Andrews, Head of Film Studies, helping to select the winners among a competitive field of entries from around the region.
Rebecca Moon was thrilled: “The Horsham Film Festival is such an exciting event for our community. It’s a fantastic platform for young filmmakers to share their stories and creativity. Seeing Collyer’s students and alumni shine on this stage makes me incredibly proud.”
One of the night’s highlights was the recognition of Collyer’s student Jake Thorn, whose post-apocalyptic short film Bed Rot was shortlisted for a prize in the Under 18 Drama category. The film also features a central performance by Collyer's Head of Drama, Neil Kendall.
Stuart Andrews emphasised the importance of these opportunities for students: “Events like this are invaluable for our young filmmakers. They not only get to see their work on the big screen but also to connect with other creative minds. It’s a real confidence boost and an amazing learning experience for all.”
The festival wasn’t just a showcase for current students; former Collyer’s students also returned to share their work in the over-18 categories. Among them was Amy King, whose natural history documentary Birds of the Urban Jungle captivated the judges with its stunning visuals and insightful commentary on wildlife in urban spaces.
The evening was a vibrant mix of film screenings, awards, and networking, with the Everyman Cinema providing a fittingly luxurious atmosphere. Attendees, including filmmakers, students, local business sponsors, and industry professionals, enjoyed a night filled with creativity and connections, setting the stage for future collaborations, and inspiring the next generation of talent.
Stuart Andrews added: “As the festival continues to grow, it’s clear that the Horsham Film Festival is cementing its place as a vital part of the local creative community. With so much talent on display, from current students to returning alumni, the future of film in Horsham is brighter than ever.”

STUDENTS RISING TO THE CHALLENGE!
SOUTH LODGE HOST COLLYER’S CHALLENGE OF MANAGEMENT 2024
Collyer’s students got a taste of the real world of business at the Challenge of Management 2024, run by the college at the 5-star South Lodge Hotel!
The event enabled teams of ten students, each led by a top representative from employers and the regional business community, to compete throughout the day in a number of business games, team building and leadership exercises.
Expert business representatives, leading practitioners, and guest speakers supporting the event included: Harry Adams (Achieving for Children), Toby Cotton (Kreston Reeves), Maisie Edwards (Portsmouth University), Amy Green (Specialist Risk Group and former President of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Sussex); James Hoad (Navigators and General), Mike Humphries (Young Enterprise), Jess Klamm (Collyer’s); Maisie Poland (Schroders), Kim Senior (Assurity Consulting); Chiara Sorrentino (South Lodge, an Executive Hotel); Smita Warren (RSA); Guy Watts (both Architectural Plants), and Tim Wrenn (Environment Agency).
The popular and successful day is a key part of the college’s progression initiative and gave students a taste of the real world of management and employability skills.
Collyer’s Director of Progression, Rebecca Adams, who co-ordinated the event, said: “These leading professionals are all incredible supporters of Collyer’s and have given so much time, creativity, and energy to help the next generation. Our students found them truly inspiring!”
Collyer’s Deputy Principal Steve Martell, who hosted the event, said: “Enormous thanks to our hosts South Lodge, and our sponsors Architectural Plants, the Insurance Institute of Sussex, Assurity Consulting, Mike Humphries, and Kreston Reeves.”
Throughout the day, attention was drawn to the learning opportunities that the tasks provided and Q&As about the routes available after college including insights into a number of pathways including apprenticeships, degree apprenticeships and sponsored degrees. Deputy Principal Steve Martell interviewed inspirational special guests including Amy Green, former Collyer’s students Harry Adams (Achieving for Children), Maisie Edwards (who is studying Radiography at the University of Portsmouth), Jess Klamm (heading to work on Rolls Royce Nuclear Submarines for a Degree Apprenticeship), Guy Watts (Owner of Architectural Plants and Guiness World Record Rower), and Tim Wrenn (Degree Apprentice from the Environment Agency).
As well as benefiting from this practical and personal advice, student teams enjoyed an interactive ice-breaker, and then competed in a sculpture and presentation competition, a lost at sea scenario, and the ever-popular production challenge. Using real life examples and techniques, teams discussed, planned and presented their ideas, all to win prizes throughout the day.
Andrea John, Collyer’s Vice Principal (Pastoral) was impressed: “This is a complex day with many moving parts, so colossal thanks to Rebecca Adams and the Collyer’s team of Emma Burns, Julie Crysell, Ian McAlister, Roger Raymond, Clare Savage, Sarah Tillier, and Peter Willis. Their support was absolutely outstanding.”
Collyer’s Ian McAlister, who hosted the sculpture and presentation challenge added: “Students took the event very seriously and throughout the day I was impressed and humbled by the sheer talent within the room!”

COLLYER’S A-TEAM!
59% ACHIEVE A*/B AT A-LEVEL

Students at Collyer’s, one of the leading sixth form colleges in the country, have achieved 59% high grades (A*-B) at A-Level. Particularly strong individual A*-B subject results include Further Maths (86%), Electronics (81%), German (80%), French (80%), Psychology (77.5%); Maths (74.5%), Fine Art (74%), Extended Project Qualification (73%), Computer Science (71%); Politics (68.5%), Photography (68.5%), Physics (66%), and Law (64%). The overall A-level pass rate is 99%.

Collyer’s Principal Dan Lodge said: “The Collyer’s community could not be prouder of the class of 2024. We are all delighted to see this cohort rewarded for their hard work and resilience with an amazing 59% A*-B and 32% A*-A grades at A Level and with strong performance across our vocational and technical courses as well.”

Collyer’s Chair of Governors, Graham Lawrence, added: “Massive congratulations and the best of luck to all our students as they embark on their exciting journeys!
Huge thanks also to our wonderful staff at Collyer’s for guiding and supporting our students so professionally.”

Just some of the noteworthy individual successes included: Former Forest pupil Zayn Darr, who achieved A*s in Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Biology, and will study Finance and Accounting at University of Warwick, Charlie Ferris, who joined from The Weald, leaves Collyer’s with A*s in Chemistry, Maths, Further Maths and Physics. Charlie will now read Maths at University of Bath and will continue with his Triathlon training programme at their Performance Centre. Harvey Londsdale, who joined Collyer’s from Worthing High, achieved A*s in Chemistry, Maths, Further Maths and Physics and will read Chemistry at the University of Bristol. Rory Mallock, who joined Collyer’s from Steyning Grammar, achieved A*s in Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Further Maths, and now heads to Imperial College London to study Chemical Engineering. Michelle Tytler, who prior to Collyer’s attended Millais, achieved A*s in Psychology, Maths, Biology and Chemistry, and is now set for Leicester to study Medicine.

Michelle Tytler said: “I'd like to thank my family for their support and especially my sister for supporting me throughout my A Levels!”.

Former Millais pupil Lily Beale heads to Edinburgh to study French and Italian, Jess Klamm who also attended Millais, heads to Rolls Royce for a Degree Apprenticeship, while former Oathall pupil Carla Mukasa is heading to Oxford to study PPE. Priya Saha, who joined Collyer’s from Christ’s Hospital, will be taking a year out and is applying to study PPE, and Evelyn Starbuck, who previously attended St Oscar Romero in Worthing, will now read Medicine at St Catharine’s, Cambridge.

Lily Beale said: “Thank you so much to all of my teachers, family and friends who have helped me so much over the past two years!”

Jess Klamm said: “I’m so thankful to my maths and physics teachers for all the support over these two years, I've had an amazing journey with Collyer’s, and I can't wait to start a new chapter at Rolls Royce as a Nuclear Engineer Degree Apprentice”

Carla Mukasa was thrilled: “A big thank you to all my amazing teachers at Collyer’s that helped make everything possible! I couldn’t have done it without them. I’ll never forget my time at Collyer’s.”

Priya Saha said: “I would like to thank all the outstanding teachers at Collyer’s who all went above and beyond to help me throughout the whole course - I would not have been able to achieve these grades without them!!”

Evelyn Starbuck said: “I'm super excited for the future and just want to thank all of the teachers and everyone who has supported me to get here.”

Deputy Principal Steve Martell was delighted with the college’s Level 3 vocational and T-Level success: “Our bright, resilient, hard-working students have performed wonderfully, yet again. They are a credit to Collyer’s and their brilliant teachers!”

Dan Lodge added: “I am incredibly proud of the achievement of all our students at Collyer’s. We are the number one choice for A levels in West Sussex and look forward to welcoming a record number of new students this autumn, who will be able to enjoy state of the art facilities in our new Common Room, Café Annexe, Electronics, Music and Geography classrooms.”

ACCESS SUCCESS!
COLLYER’S ACCESS STUDENTS GRADUATE
Successful Access students enjoyed their graduation at Collyer’s this week, receiving their certificates from Vice Principal (Curriculum) Rob Hussey. Many of this year’s students are now moving on to degree courses having achieved the qualification.
Collyer’s Adult Education Manager, Sally Kent, was thrilled: “We are hugely proud of this year’s Access students and the commitment the group have shown in order to succeed and realise their potential. We are delighted with their achievement.”
Access courses provide the necessary qualifications for entry to university degrees, and the college offers courses including Nursing and Healthcare Professions (including midwifery) and Health and Social Care Professions.
After presenting the certificates at the Access Graduation 2024, Rob Hussey said: “In addition to their friends and families, all at Collyer’s are extremely proud of these students. They have demonstrated academic and practical ability, juggled study with other significant commitments and worked incredibly hard.
Huge thanks to Sally Kent and their teachers Louise McAndrew, Karen Staines and Julie Luckin for helping these students to excel this year.”
Sally Kent added: “Congratulations to these students for their accomplishment and thank you to all who have supported them. We wish them all well for their future studies where I am sure they will be a credit to any university going forward.”

ROCK-ON!
STUDENTS FIND HOMES FOR FOSSILS

Collyer’s Assistant Director of the Science Faculty and Head of Geology, Dr Ian Carr and his students recently visited the Geology department at the University of Portsmouth.

Ian Carr explained: “We were welcomed by Dr Anthony Butcher (Programme Lead – Geoscience, Course Lead - BSc (Hons) Palaeontology) as their Geology department were keen to find new homes for many of their fossils. So, the university invited several local schools and colleges to help themselves to the specimens, which may otherwise have been thrown away.

Four of our students had free reign to rummage through the trays and start their own fossil collection.”

The trip represented a great opportunity for the students to collect university quality samples.

Dr Carr added: “The students have recently studied fossils as part of their A-level programme, so it was a great chance to test their ability to recognise the different types and take home some prize specimens!”

A Big Thank You to Metricell from Collyer's!
We are proud to share the unique and enriching experiences our T Level Digital students have had during their first-year placements at Metricell. Our two students have been working hard and gaining invaluable skills across different roles and departments.
One student has been rotating through various roles, including the helpdesk and testing/QA. This has allowed him to experience a wide range of tasks and responsibilities, which he has thoroughly enjoyed. He will soon be transitioning to the consulting team to gain an entirely new perspective within the organisation.
Our other student has been immersed in the research department, focusing on a fascinating machine learning project. He is primarily working with Python, Ultralytics, and PyTorch. This challenging role has pushed him to new heights, and he is excited about the skills he is developing.
We extend our deepest gratitude to Metricell for their continuous support and mentorship. Their commitment to providing our students with such valuable experiences is greatly appreciated. As the first-year placements come to an end, we are delighted to announce that our students will be returning to Metricell in September to continue their excellent work.
Please join us in thanking Metricell and congratulating our T Level students on their remarkable achievements!

A Big Thank You to Red River from Collyer's!
We are proud to share that our T Level Digital students are making significant progress during their first-year placements at Red River. Our three students are utilising their technical skills to work on the Red Go project, developing C # applications, and working with SQL Server Manager and Flask/React.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Red River for their continuous support and mentorship. Their feedback has been invaluable in helping our students grow and develop their skills. The students have been working on individual tasks, such as converting the PWA to a mobile app, developing the bookings page, and designing the profile page.
As the first-year placements come to an end, we are delighted to announce that our students will be returning to Red River in September to continue their excellent work and further develop their technical skills.
It's inspiring to see our students start from scratch on the same project as last year to make the code more maintainable and concise. We appreciate Red River's commitment to providing a comprehensive learning experience.
Please join us in thanking Red River for their dedication and support!

A Big Thank You to Honeywell from Collyer's!
We are incredibly proud to share that our T Level Digital students have successfully completed their first-year placements with Honeywell at their Horsham office. Throughout the term, our students have developed and showcased their skills in AI models, advanced coding tools like React, Docker, TensorFlow, and Neural Networks.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Honeywell for their unwavering support and for providing our students with this remarkable opportunity. Special mention for their impressive presentations at Honeywell's lunch and learn session, where they demonstrated their problem-solving approaches and future plans.
We are delighted that our talented students will return to Honeywell in September to continue their excellent work and further develop their technical skills.
Please join us in thanking Honeywell and congratulating our T Level students on their remarkable achievements!
A special thanks to Chris, Yuxin, Jack, Katie and Daniel, Dave and Pat for all the assistance they have given them.

COLLYER’S WELCOMES NEW STUDENTS

Collyer’s recently welcomed students to the college for a taster day, ready for a start in September 2024. Students visited the college from across the region and internationally to meet their new teachers and tutors, have taster lessons in their chosen subjects and learn about Collyer’s highly regarded WEX (work experience) and “360 Degrees” enrichment offer.

Enrichment Fair organiser John Burrough said: “Our current students and staff ran stands including the debating society, sport academy teams, chess, robotics, table tennis and dance society. These and a multitude of other activities will form a vital part of the 360 Degrees enrichment programme which all students will take part in from September. These are very exciting times!”

Helen Lobb, Collyer’s Director of Admissions, said: “It is important that students have a clear idea of what college life will be like for them in September. The Welcome Day gives them a chance to cement their subject choices and gives us a chance to warmly welcome our new students to the Collyer’s community.”

On arrival at the college, the new students were greeted by some of the Collyer’s Ambassadors, affectionately known as the “Dream Team”, who answered questions and guided them through their first day at the highly rated Sixth Form College.

Deputy Principal Steve Martell said: “Huge thanks to all involved in making this wonderful day possible for our new students, who we very much look forward to welcoming at the start of the autumn term.”

FOREST SCHOOL STUDENTS EXPLORE COLLYER'S CREATIVE DEPARTMENTS

Collyer’s Photography and Textiles departments welcomed a group of enthusiastic year 7s, 8s and 9s from The Forest School for a day as part of their activity week. Their day was filled with captivating workshops, where they explored various artistic techniques.

The students embarked on a photographic adventure lead by Photography teacher and Head of BTEC Creative Media Rebecca Moon, capturing the essence of their surroundings on campus, looking for leading lines and capturing the college from interesting viewpoints. From photograms to scanography, they experimented with different methods, each image telling a unique story.

In the Textiles department, they marvelled at the diverse range of work. Susie McAlister Head of Art & Design at Collyer’s guided them through intricate weaving techniques and helped them create tie-dyed tote bags. The students left with a tangible piece of their creativity—a tote bag they could proudly take home. Susie said, “the students were so engaged and produced fantastic pieces, it was a pleasure to have them in the department.”

Joseph, one of the participants, shared his excitement: “The photography activities were fantastic! We loved roaming around campus, and the darkroom experience was truly captivating.”

Daisy echoed the sentiment: “It was a great opportunity to try something different. And the tote bag we made? Absolutely loved it!” The Forest School Art & Design Teacher, Veronica Bex said “it has been lovely to visit the Textiles department and see the variety of work, thank you to the Collyer’s staff for having us”.

This visit provided a tantalising glimpse of what awaits The Forest School students when they officially join the Collyer’s community in the future. The fusion of art, creativity, and hands-on learning promises an inspiring journey ahead.

Laura Andrews Head of Photography, Assistant Director of Arts Faculty said, “Collyer’s continues to foster artistic exploration, nurturing the next generation of talented photographers and textile artists. We look forward to seeing more collaborations and creative endeavours in the future.”

We are looking for a well qualified practitioners to teach our adult learners :

Counselling
The basic counselling skills and understanding.

Maths GCSE

These are evening part time/term time roles. For further details please see our website.

Adult Education Tutor - Collyer's Counselling – Introduction and Level 2 Introduction – Tuesday, 2.5 hours per week for 6 weeks followed by Level 2 – Tuesday (plus 1 Saturday), 2.5 hours per week for 24 weeks

COLLYER’S WELCOME GERMAN EXCHANGE STUDENTS

Last week Collyer’s welcomed German students from Lindau, near lake Constance, as part of the German department’s annual exchange programme.

Katja Welton, Head of German, said: “After visiting Lindau earlier in the academic year, it was a pleasure to host the German students back in Horsham. Everyone enjoyed a trip to London, which included sightseeing along the Embankment, and had a great time at the Tower of London, which the students chose as their main attraction. The group spent two enjoyable hours there.”

The German students also enjoyed a day at Collyer’s gaining an insight into sixth form college life in England, and then joined their teacher on a guided tour of Horsham, led by Roy Bayliss from the Horsham Twinning Association. Later in the week the students visited Arundel Castle and took part in Collyer’s Festivals of Art and Science, respectively.

On the last night students and teachers enjoyed a farewell barbeque at the White Horse in Maplehurst.

Katja Welton added: “It was an enjoyable and successful week for both groups.”

Collyer’s Deputy Principal Steve Martell said: “Huge thanks to Katja Welton, Roy Baylis and everyone involved for creating these wonderful learning opportunities. The students and teachers from Collyer’s and Lindau were a credit to their colleges.”

STUDENTS ENJOY WAKEHURST PLACE FIELD TRIP

Collyer’s Biology students recently enjoyed their annual Biology field trip.

Collyer’s Joint Head of Biology, Caroline Birch, said: “This year the group visited Wakehurst Place and investigated biodiversity of two coppiced woodlands using random sampling techniques, and carried out a systematic belt transect in the meadow habitat to look at distribution of plants related to abiotic factors.”

Students were also able to visit the renowned Millennium Seedbank, probably the most Biodiverse place on earth, due to its vast stores of preserved seeds from across the world. The group learnt how the seeds are processed, stored, and managed to protect biodiversity.

Caroline Birch added: “This was a great chance for students to experience sampling techniques out in the field and apply their knowledge and understanding of Biology in a new context.”

Collyer’s Vice Principal (Curriculum) was delighted: “Colossal thanks to our Biology team, and all at Wakehurst Place, for giving our students the opportunity to sample Biology fieldwork.”

FESTIVAL OF ARTS AND BUSINESS “A RESOUNDING SUCCESS”
COLLYER’S CAREERS DAY INSPIRES
Collyer’s was abuzz with excitement as it hosted the much-anticipated Festival of Arts & Business. The dynamic event delivered a day of inspiration, education, and networking for students, staff and professionals alike.
The festival kicked off with a series of engaging workshops led by industry professionals. Students had the opportunity to choose from over 70 workshops featuring a diverse range of topics, from creating art portfolios to pathology.
Jonathan Gammon from Geotechnical Observations explained the importance and use of languages in the workplace he said: “I am very pleased to be back for a second year. These students are well placed for future opportunities in engineering.”
Translator Michaela Carnochan said: “The festival is a great exposure to industry and sectors that students may not have ever entertained, and understanding the importance of languages and culture.”
Student Toby explained “The festival talks have given me a great insight into work and how many different routes there are into different professions.”
A graphic design session was run by local company Storm12, which delved into the world of visual communication. Matt Saunders from Storm12 said: “It’s good to be back again and be able to share how the industry has changed, even in the last 12 months. Be bolder, be braver, be proactive!”
During the mornings’ workshops the role of a magistrate was explored, and insights were shared into the legal system and the responsibilities of magistrates. Students also attended media marketing and media production sessions where the focus was on the exciting field of digital publishing, media production and filmmaking. Students also got a glimpse into life as a police officer and the various pathways into the force. Other workshops covered hospitality and tourism management, sports careers, cybersecurity, careers in accountancy, freelance photography, working in the civil service, creative writing, GIS consulting, early years education and performance.
Sophie McEwan, West End performer and dance school owner who gave a talk at the festival said: “What an honour to be asked to return to Collyer’s to share my professional ups and downs with some enthusiastic students who hope to carry forward a career in the Arts”.
Dr Liz Sampson, Senior Lecturer from Canterbury Christ Church University, added: “It’s great to see so many young people that are passionate about the creative arts.” Wealth management firm Saltus also gave a talk about the importance of financial planning, and local freelance photographer Flo Westbrook shared her own creative journey and portfolio of work. Dr Nik Wakefield from Portsmouth University added, “It is inspiring to see the enthusiasm in these students for creative expression and that gives me hope for the future of the arts industry.”
In the afternoon the Futures Fair featured employer and university stands comprising representatives from local businesses and organisations who were on hand to discuss career prospects, internships, and job openings. Students also gathered information from universities about various courses, and scholarship options.
Jenny Bailey, Collyer’s Director of Faculty for Business said: “What a wonderful opportunity for students to find out about potential careers and higher education opportunities! We are very lucky to have links with such a wealth of employers, universities and outside organisations. A massive thank you to all who attended and gave their time so generously.”
Ann Mutluer Director of Faculty for Arts said: “Whether attendees were students seeking guidance or professionals looking to expand their network, the Festival of Arts & Business provided a day of growth, inspiration, and community. The event was a resounding success, thank you to everyone who was involved.”