College News

Update from Principal, Mark Jones - 3 February 2021

I’d like to update our students and parents following last Friday’s announcement (29 January) by the First Minister.

Important update on online teaching and learning - 29 January

Following today's (29 January) update from the First Minister, Gower College Swansea will continue to provide online teaching and learning support for students, in line with Welsh Government guidelines.

Another first for College

Gower College Swansea has become the first college in Wales to receive an Accredited Award from the Autism Accreditation Committee.        

In a project led by Ceri Low, the College has worked with the National Autistic Society (NAS) for the past three years, a process that involved continuous assessment and monitoring of our work with autistic learners, and our links with the local community and stakeholders.

Update from Principal Mark Jones – 27 January 2021

Last week’s announcement by the Education Minister about the way GCSE and A Level assessments will be graded for this year probably doesn’t look a lot different from those used in 2020. Grades will again be determined by lecturers and based on their assessment of students’ work – although this year it will be called Centre Determined Grades.

Centre Determined Grades
The general principles and guidance of how these Centre Determined Grades will work (assessment framework) is now under development by Qualifications Wales and the WJEC.

Important update: grading of GCSEs, AS and A Level exams 2021

The Education Minister in Wales has recently (Wednesday 20 January) made an announcement about the grading of GCSEs, AS and A Level qualifications in 2021.

Apprenticeship Week Wales 2021 - Information Sessions

Apprenticeship Week Wales aims to shine a light on the amazing work being done by employers and apprentices across the country.

This year, Apprenticeship Week Wales will take place between Monday 8 February and Sunday 14 February.

The annual celebration showcases how apprenticeships have helped both businesses and individuals from an employment and skills development perspective.

________

Update from the Principal - 13 January 2021

The announcement on Friday by the First Minister that colleges and schools will continue with online learning for at least the next three weeks (until 29 January and possibly longer if the number of positive cases do not reduce) was disappointing. But it is unquestionably the right approach to take at the current time in helping to reduce the numbers of transmissions across our communities.

But of course this announcement hasn’t come as any surprise and, as a College, we have been preparing for this very situation throughout the first term.

Swansea student named as a UK Point of Light

It’s not every day that you receive a personal letter from the British Prime Minister but that’s exactly what happened to Gower College Swansea student Sophie Billinghurst recently.

Sophie, who is studying a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care at the Tycoch campus, was astonished to find out that she’d been chosen as a UK Point of Light in recognition for her work in raising awareness of the importance of sign language.

Important update - online learning until 29 January

Welsh Government has recently agreed that all schools, colleges and independent schools will continue with remote learning until at least 29 January, when the situation will be reviewed.

Important update re: week commencing 4 January 2021

For all parents and students: You may be aware that on the afternoon of Thursday 10 December, the Education Minister announced that colleges and secondary schools would move to online learning for next week – that is, the week commencing 14 December.

Of course this will make very little difference here at Gower College Swansea since we had already announced that the small number of courses and tutorial sessions arranged for next week would be delivered online.