News
College Tech Demonstrator in Spotlight at Meta’s first VR Educators Summit
An Emerging Technologies Demonstrator at The Sandwell Colleges was a featured speaker at Meta’s inaugural VR Educators Community Summit hosted at its London headquarters.
Ben Haddock, part of the Fab Lab team, delivered an inspiring lightning talk on their ground-breaking research into smart glasses and education to an audience of top academics and industry figures including former Deputy Prime Minister Sir Nick Clegg, now Meta’s President for Global Affairs.
The event brought together educators and professionals in the field of extended reality (XR) to discuss the current landscape and future prospects of virtual reality (VR) in education and highlight how innovation is shaping the future of learning.
Ben delivered a compelling presentation on how futuristic smart glasses are being used at the College for innovative learner assessments across a wide number of departments, including Professional Studies, Teacher Education, Construction and Automotive.
In 2021, the College’s Fab Lab received a £50,000 grant from the West Midlands Combined Authority to carry out a research project to investigate the use of smart glasses for assessment in further education. The project was led and managed by Debbie Grace from the College’s Teacher Education team.
Last year their work was published in a leading global research journal: “Human Data Interaction, Disadvantage and Skills in the Community” co-authored by a number of prominent university professors, researchers and doctors from around the world.
Sandwell College was the first institution to trial and demonstrate Bodyswaps’ Job Interview Simulator in VR, now utilised by over 250 universities and colleges globally.
Ben says: “Never doubt that a small group of committed people cannot change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
We’re Celebrating T Level Week!
It’s T Level Week, and we’re ready to celebrate all things T Levels at the Sandwell Colleges!
This week, we’ve got a jam-packed schedule of activities for our T Level students at Cadbury Sixth Form College and Sandwell College. Here’s what you can expect:
– Inspiring experiences and successes of our T Level students and alumni
– Exciting T Level events, including breakfasts and Q&As
– Showcases of our incredible T Level teachers who make a real difference every day
We’re looking forward to spotlighting the achievements of our students and staff. Stay tuned to see all the amazing things we get up to!
Cadbury Sixth Form College learner wins national Stephen Spender Trust accolade
A talented linguist from Cadbury Sixth Form College has achieved national recognition, winning the prestigious Stephen Spender Trust Prize for Poetry in Translation: KS5 Portuguese Spotlight.
Dennis Casey’s translation of Fernando Pessoa’s Mar Português, will be published in the Stephen Spender Trust Prizewinners’ Booklet 2024 and online. This achievement is particularly remarkable as Dennis had no previous knowledge of the Portuguese language.
Dennis, who is studying A-Levels in French, Philosophy, Maths & EPQ, expressed delight at the accolade.
“I was really surprised to have won this award, especially given that I’ve never studied Portuguese before. The fact that it was on a national scale as well was massive – I definitely wasn’t expecting to win.”
The competition required participants to translate a poem and provide a creative interpretation that captured its essence. At last week’s online award celebration, the judge spoke warmly of the sensitivity of language used in Dennis’ translation, and in the
remarkable watercolour with its striking image that Dennis painted for the creative response activity.
Reflecting on life at Cadbury Sixth Form College, Dennis credited the Languages department’s supportive environment and enriching activities for nurturing linguistic passion and skills.
“The Languages department is a community – we do a lot of extra-curricular and enrichment activities that have boosted my confidence socially as well. This year, I am a Languages Mentor helping within the department, and one of my roles is as editor of our multilingual poetry anthology.”
Sue Simson, Languages Lecturer, who organised entries to the competition, was delighted at the result: “we are very proud of Dennis’ superb achievement in gaining this outstanding award. It is well deserved, and I hope it will inspire Dennis to further literary heights in the future.”
Lydia Maher, Principal of Cadbury Sixth Form College, also commended on Dennis’ accomplishment:
“This national recognition is a reflection of the dedication and excellence we cultivate at Cadbury Sixth Form College. Dennis’ achievement not only highlights his exceptional ability but also the outstanding support and opportunities provided by our Languages department. We are incredibly proud of him and look forward to seeing his continued success.”
For further information about Cadbury Sixth Form College and its Languages department, visit www.cadcol.ac.uk.
Older News & Event Articles
It’s time to talk T Levels! It’s time to take a T Level Talk & Tour with us in our brand new campus building!
Join us in June – either on Thursday 13th from 5-7pm, or if you can’t make that day, Saturday 15th from 10am – 2pm.
Talk
We’ll tell you everything you need to know to apply for a place on a T Level course at Cadbury, and you can ask us any questions you need answers to.
Tour
You’ll see that we’ve invested millions in our new £6.6 million STEM centre, which is dedicated to giving you the best experience and state-of-the-art facilities for T Level study.
So if you’d like to study at a high level – but with more focus on practical and professional experience, which not only looks great on your CV but will give you the UCAS points to get into a top university – T Levels are your best choice.
Equivalent to 3 A Levels, the 2-year T Level qualifications have been developed in collaboration with employers and businesses. This means they meet the needs of industry and will develop you with the skills, knowledge and workplace experience you need to really succeed.
T Levels offer you the best of both worlds: a mixture of classroom learning and ‘on-the-job’ experience during an industry placement of at least 315 hours (approximately 45 days).
You’ll also get all the benefits of being a Cadbury student including a free bus pass for unlimited daytime, evening and weekend travel, plus mentoring, coaching and any extra support you might need.
Find out about the T Levels we can offer you:
Digital Design and Development
Education and Childcare
Health
Legal Services
Management and Administration
Media, Broadcast and Production
What do T Level technical qualifications include?
1. Core theory, concepts and skills for an industry area
2. Specialist skills and knowledge for an occupation or career
3. An industry placement with an employer
4. Maths and English if you haven’t already achieved the minimum standard
Worried about securing your college place before September? Worried you have missed the deadline to apply?
Well, don’t worry anymore as you’ve still got time to apply for a place at Cadbury Sixth Form College.
Other colleges have already closed their applications but the best news is ours are still open!
Why do we do this?
College is a big step in your life. We recognise you’re under enough pressure as it is studying for exams or with whatever life throws at you, and we want to give everyone the best chance possible to get into our incredible college.
That’s why we don’t impose time limits and we give you as much time and support as you need to submit your final application.
We’ll invite you in for a chat about your future career and education goals, and you can even choose your own time slot.
We’ll also tell you more about our Talk & Tour event: specially designed to give you all the information you need on T Levels and you’ll be one of the first to see our brand new purpose-built STEM centre.
So if you haven’t quite got round to applying for a place – for whatever reason – but you’re ready now, get in touch and hit that Apply button!
Demand for media content has never been higher!
- The Film, Television and Video sector contributes over £12 billion to the UK economy
- The UK Film Industry is set to grow by over 4% over the next 2 years
- Major new film studios and production companies are under development in Birmingham.
So there’s no better time to study and train for a career in content creation, with massive opportunities for young people to get the skills needed for future employment.
Achieve your maximum potential by studying for a T Level in Media, Broadcast & Production at Cadbury Sixth Form College. After 2 years you’ll be the proud holder of an advanced qualification that’s equivalent to 3 A Levels and you’ll have developed skills in generating and pitching ideas, project planning, filming, editing, graphics, animation, post-production and marketing.
- You’ll get exclusive access to state-of-the art facilities and equipment, including: dedicated iMac suites, photography and film studios, recording studio, professional cameras, lighting and audio equipment, digital Fab Lab, drones and VR headsets.
- You’ll learn from tutors with extensive experience within the media sectors
- You’ll get a ‘MEGA’ support package deal which includes free and unlimited travel, specialist equipment and resources to support your studies and work placements
- You’ll complete industry placements, preparing you for employment in a range of roles within the creative sector for example: audio production assistant, broadcast assistant, production management assistant, programme assistant, runner, TV production assistant, junior content producer, social media assistant/co-ordinator or even junior media executive
See if you’re cut out for a content creation career!
- Sign up to attend an Information Webinar for Year 11 pupils and parents/carers on Thursday 23 May
- Take part in an interactive Discovery Day on Thursday 27 June
