College News

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.

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.

Musical Theatre students gain invaluable feedback from industry professionals

Gower College Swansea’s HE Cert in Musical Theatre students recently gained instrumental feedback at their preparing to audition module.

The event was a performance of audition material in front of a panel of four industry professionals including:

New Partner School in Noida, India

Gower College Swansea has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Prometheus School in Noida, India.

Prometheus School is CAIE (Cambridge Assessment International Education) accredited and was attracted to Gower College Swansea by our experience and success in the A Level programme. This exciting partnership will collaborate on a number of areas including summer and winter schools, online tutorials, and the Oxbridge Preparation Programme.

On yer bike for Kenya

Each year Gower College Swansea students hold a series of fundraising events in support of the Kenya Community Education Project and, despite restrictions due to the pandemic, they found a way to do it in 2020!

The students at Gorseinon and Tycoch campuses competed against each other on bikes to virtually cover the distance from Nairobi to Sigmore to raise money for Madungu Primary School, with which the College has a long-standing association. 

College launches draft Strategic Plan 2020-2024

The development of a strategic plan is critical for all organisations to help set the way forward. 

Prior to the lockdown in March 2020, we began developing our new plan for the next four years – and since returning we have now completed a draft plan. 

Our next step is to share this draft plan with you - our students, our staff and our key partners - to get your views and comments on whether we have got this right and, if not, what else we need to include.