Rugby players from Leeds Sixth Form College and Leeds City College could top off a ‘brilliant year’ by winning a major award.

Leeds Rhinos Foundation’s Development Academy team have enjoyed an outstanding season that has seen them reach the National Colleges Cup Final for the first time. They will head to Headingley Stadium for that high-profile clash with Warrington Wolves Development Academy on Wednesday 27 April.

And now the team are celebrating reaching another final – that of the 2022 Leeds Sports Awards, where they have been shortlisted in the Student Sport: Performance category.

They will find out how they have fared on Thursday 12 May when all of the finalists will gather at New Dock Hall for one of the highlights of Leeds’ sporting calendar. 

The fruits of partnership

Deputy Principal of Leeds Sixth Form College, Ryan Grant, said: “To have been shortlisted for this award is a fantastic achievement for the team and yet another sign of what a fantastic season they have had.

“It is also further proof of the massive benefits that our student-athletes, and the sports clubs and groups they work with, can enjoy through our Leeds Sports Connect partnership.

“The team will be rubbing shoulders with some of Leeds’ biggest sporting names at the awards night, including Leeds United and England player Kalvin Phillips – and deservedly so.

“We are delighted to see them flourishing and hope they can go on to score a double victory by winning the cup final and picking up an award.”

Leeds Rhinos Foundation were also thrilled to see the team reach another final. Head of Community, Gareth Cook, said: “It has been a brilliant year for the college programme, with the team reaching their first ever College Cup final.

“We also saw their star centre, Mekhi Bridgeman-Reaney, become the first development academy player to earn a professional contract after a string of impressive performances saw him sign for Leeds Rhinos Reserves.”

Special moment for head coach Harvey

The team will be led out for their cup final at Headingley by Leeds Rhinos Development Academy coach Harvey Whiteley, who is a former Leeds City College Sports student.

Harvey, hoping to round off a fine first season as coach with silverware, said the team were ‘chuffed’ to have been nominated for an award but were fully focused on the big game.

He said: “The lads are over the moon to just get there, I know I am. I’d like to focus on the final for now and then enjoy the sports awards after.”

As for him now coaching the student team, he added: “I’ve sort of gone full circle, having been a student and being tutored by some of the tutors that I’m working with now. It’s a great feeling and it makes it a bit more special.”

Presented by Sport Leeds and Leeds City Council, the Leeds Sports Awards are held each year to celebrate the sporting achievements of local athletes of all ages and levels, along with coaches, administrators and volunteers throughout the past 12 months.

Other finalists in this year’s awards include seven times Paralympic Champion Wheelchair Racer, Hannah Cockroft MBE, England international footballer, Kalvin Phillips, and cyclist, Tom Pidcock MBE.

Leeds Sixth Form College hosted a Raising Aspirations event this week with the aim of exposing Pudsey school pupils to high powered, high salary careers and the different pathways taken to get there.

On 23 March, pupils from Leeds West Academy, Crawshaw Academy and Co-op Academy Preisthorpe attended the event, organised by Carla Smithies, Leeds Sixth Form College Project Co-ordinator, at St George’s Centre. They took part in tasks that involved learning about different educational pathways and building a CV. 

Teachers from Leeds Sixth Form College were there to assist with the tasks and give support and advice to the students. Pupils were able to choose from a number of career pathways including: sport, science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), humanities and social science and creative industries. 

The main task was a scavenger hunt style activity where the pupils collected pieces of a character’s CV from around the room which included information about how they progressed through education and employment. The idea was that the pupils could understand different ways to reach a certain career. 

Helping students find their pathway to success

Rachael Booth, Principal of Leeds Sixth Form College, said: “This event was the first of a series of activities we’re going to be undertaking with pupils from the Pudsey region who will learn about exciting and aspirational pathways into a number of careers and how to get to those ambitious future job roles. 

“The aim of this event was for pupils to see progression opportunities through someone else’s eyes – we’re trying to enthuse them about careers that don’t even exist yet.”

Owen, a year 9 pupil from Co-op Academy Priesthorpe, said: “I enjoy music. I just finished my music GCSE, I’m really enjoying computer science too. Outside of school, I play guitar, drums, bass and piano.”

It was clear that Owen has a passion for music and used the event to learn more about creative careers out there.

He said: “After school, I hope to go to sixth form and then Leeds Conservatoire. There’s a lot of careers in music, like being a music producer and sound recorder, that I’d like to explore.”

Ershal, a pupil from Leeds West Academy, said: “I like doing art and photography. I enjoy creative subjects because I like how you have the freedom to do what you want.”

Despite Ershal’s love of creative subjects, her career aspirations were heading in a different direction, “I’m thinking of doing law, I looked into different jobs to see what sounded interesting to me and that stood out.

“This event has been helpful in learning how to write a CV and looking at what will be useful for getting a job” 

Harman Atwal, from Co-op Academy Priesthorpe, spoke about his interests in a career in health care. 

“When I’m older I might become a paramedic, I want to help people. Someone in my family struggled with their health which made me want to help people and it seems like a really exciting career.” 

Jane Wearing, Assistant Principal at Crawshaw Academy said: “It was an excellent experience for our pupils. They had the freedom to move from station to station to build up a profile and talk to new people. They engaged with activities well and had great discussions with the facilitators.”

Senior leaders from all three of the academies have a meeting planned to discuss the details of the next raising aspirations event as this will be part of a series of activities aimed at pupils from years 7-11.

Leeds Sixth form College unequivocally condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the terrible suffering and loss of life it is causing.

We stand in solidarity with all of the Ukrainians who are enduring this war, including the millions who have been forced to flee their homeland and seek refuge in other countries.

As an education provider, we cherish the values of diversity, inclusion and tolerance that are at the heart of democratic societies which respect the dignity of the individual and freedom of thought and expression. Indeed, celebrating individuality and respecting others are part of the college’s core principles.

It is such values that authoritarianism and its consequences, of which this unprovoked invasion is a shockingly stark example, seeks to destroy. 

We are also painfully aware that this crisis is far from an isolated event. Instead, it is the latest – and from our European perspective, due to its proximity and severity, most shocking – example of a wider and ongoing pattern of conflict that has created refugees around the world. 

Whenever such crises arise it is vital that we respond with compassion and conviction, while continuing to uphold and defend our values.

And so it is now when we realise that many parts of the college, and wider, community are being affected by the events in Ukraine and will need our support. That includes our Russian students, many of whom will be opposed to the war, and all of whom – of course – have a right to feel respected and safe.

In terms of what we are doing specifically, the college:

• Is providing information and advice resources, including details on how to support refugees, via its Student Information Hub
• Is putting our Ukrainian students, especially those who are being taught online, in touch with each other
• Our students’ union has started a campaign, Us Against War, and is organising a number of fundraising activities to help UNICEF support victims of the invasion
• And we are spreading awareness about collections of items for transportation to Poland, to help Ukrainian refugees

On 8 March, people all over the world come together to celebrate International Women’s Day. This day highlights the struggles of gender equality and brings people together to help diminish this.

It’s a chance to take action, and raise awareness of the economic, political and social achievements of women across the world. 

What is the theme this year? 

Bias and discrimination have been holding women back for centuries. This year’s official theme is #BreakTheBias, which looks at how we can collectively break the bias and misconceptions in the interest of creating a gender-equal and inclusive world. 

You can get involved with the #BreakTheBias campaign by sending in photos of yourself with crossed arms as seen on the website or taking a selfie with one of the pledge cards, which you can download here to show your support.

Inspirational women

As part of the celebration, we asked women leaders across the Leeds Sixth Form College about who inspires them and why and how we can break the bias in education.

Dr. Elisabeth Protopapa, Head of Academic Studies at Leeds Sixth Form College, talks about her mother being the biggest inspiration to her. 

“My mother has to be my biggest inspiration. She was a typical Greek mother – just think of a lioness who would do anything to protect her cubs.

“I was always inspired to follow her steps. When growing up, working mothers in Greek culture were seen as ‘breaking the rules of society’. When she finished school at 17, she had to find work to make sure she could pay for her brother’s education and also financially support her parents. She was a working mum but never complained. Sacrificing her own potential to ensure her brother had more opportunities in life was a powerful message.  She made sure I grew up understanding that I was made to contribute to society, and this meant I needed to be the ‘best educated’. I grew up defending the role of women in society, and the right to be educated. 

“My extended family and friend circle expected me to come back after finishing my chemistry degree to get married and be a stay at home mum. My mother made me promise that I would stay in education for as long as I can and use my skills to help others. I ended up providing her with three graduation ceremonies from a BSc, Master’s and a PhD, which was my token of gratitude for the love and inspiration she gave me. The joy on her face will always stay with me.”

Principal of Leeds Sixth Form College, Rachael Booth, shares with us who inspires her and why. 

“It is hard to pin down my personal inspirations to one individual as I feel I have been influenced and shaped by a number of individuals over the years. My parents inspired me to value education and the opportunities it can bring you at a very early age, and my mum certainly gave me the passion for reading I still have to this day. 

“As a historian, it is hard not to be influenced by historical figures and one in particular that inspired me is Mary Wollstonecraft. Her book: ‘A Vindication on the Rights of Woman’ written in 1791 was groundbreaking as it was the first time a book had been published that argued for women’s rights. It is interesting today to think how radical she was in recommending the establishment of a national education system that operated mixed-sex schools. What seems evident to me is her passion for women’s rights and her bravery in arguing for those rights at a time when to many others, this would be unthinkable.

“I reflected often on this feminist pioneer when I began my own career in education and always made sure I taught students about the ‘founding mothers’ when still exam texts were solely referring to the ‘founding fathers’ when discussing theories. Certainly, I have witnessed and experienced gender inequality in my life, but I, like many others, continue to stand up for what is right and support others to do the same.”

This year’s theme is #breakthebias. How do you think we can break the bias in education? 

Elisabeth added: “The current crisis around us has made a lot of people question the direction of the world. What drives us in Leeds Sixth Form College is the responsibility we have to wrap a protective blanket around our young people and show them how to maintain resilience and momentum. We teach them to become future change makers whatever race, gender or origin. That one young Ukrainian or Syrian girl arriving in this country that is fleeing from war could be driven to become the next politician who will take action to protect the next generation. Let’s remind ourselves that education can bring change.”

Rachael commented: “Given Mary Wollstonecraft’s writing in the 1790s, my question is why is it taking so long? Yes, we can look back and say that some nations have come a long way – but what about the others? In the UK, there is still a shortage of female representatives in some areas of work and still so few women in senior leadership roles. 

“The only way to break the bias is to play an active role in our community and share ideas on how to make a change. We also need to challenge inequalities and empower others to do so. I think it is important that we challenge ourselves as individuals every day. I was lucky enough to benefit from inspirational female mentors that spotted the potential in me and helped me realise it, therefore I hope to do the same for others.”

Lastly, Carla Smithies, Performance and Project Coordinator, talks about Professor Miriam Meyerhoff being her inspiration. 

“I came across Professor Miriam Meyerhoff’s publications during my study of English Language and Linguistic Science at the University of York. Her research focuses on sociolinguistics and examines the impact that social identity and gender have on language. 

“This area of linguistics she writes about is interesting as it looks at fascinating variations of standard English. This is important work in breaking the bias as it sheds light on elements that people aren’t aware cause language variation and how society may discriminate towards these shifts from the “standard”. 

“The enrichment programme at Leeds Sixth Form College allows students studying any combination of A levels to choose an extracurricular programme that excites them or will further their progression. It means students can collaborate with others outside of the classroom, and grow solidarity with those who hold similar values, experiences or interests.”

Take a look at the International Women’s Day resources here.

Prince William has heaped praise on Leeds Sixth Form College and Leeds City College students during a visit to Leeds.

HRH the Duke of Cambridge was in the city to present the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service – the UK’s highest award for volunteer groups – to CATCH Leeds, which runs a popular youth centre in Harehills.

A number of students volunteer regularly for the charity, and enjoyed showing the Prince some of the many activities they support, including animal care – they look after 12 goats – and table tennis.

CATCH also provides a weekly activity session for children evacuated from Afghanistan, and the Prince spoke to a group of recently evacuated Afghan refugees during his visit, too.

The Leeds Sixth Form College and Leeds City College students who were at CATCH Leeds for the 30 November award presentation were: Solomon Balica (Sport Science), Shakila Begum (A levels), Samuel Balica (Customer Service), Elona Gangal (Health and Social Care), Kevin Scuka (Sport Science), Aman Ali (Business), Artjom Tuguzovs (Uniform Services), Talanah Shareeka Fray (Childcare and Education), and Gabriel Mendes (Engineering).

A huge honour

Health and Behaviour Lead at Leeds City College, Lauren Turnbull, said: “The prince had a tour around CATCH, spoke to our volunteers, and also presented us with our Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

“It was a huge honour for us all, and the students all did great.

“All of our students who are regular volunteers with the charity were involved on the day – and Shakila was also part of a more personal conversation with Prince William, when she talked to him about her background and experiences, and her journey with CATCH.

“Solomon was part of the conversations with the Prince, too, about how we built our educational farm and how we look after the goats.”

Leeds Sixth Form College student Solomon, posting online on the day, said: “This has to be one of my proudest days meeting His Royal Highness Prince William @CATCHLeeds.

“Never did I ever think this was going to happen to me…a Romanian boy living in Harehills.

“This visit has inspired and motivated so many of us.”

During his meeting with the Afghan families, meanwhile, the Prince praised the bravery it took to start new lives in the UK, and thanked those who had risked everything by working for the British Government.

Leeds City College students Hossein Saeedi and Sanga Ahmadi were among those he talked to at a local hotel.

Hossein, who worked as an interpreter in Afghanistan before leaving three months ago with his partner and their ten year old son, is currently studying GCSE maths and English.

A welcoming and powerful message

He said that meeting a member of the Royal Family had been a great pleasure, and said that the Prince had delivered a warm, welcoming and powerful message to the group.

Sanga, who arrived in the UK with her family in 2015, said: “The Prince was very keen to meet us and he was a very nice and kind person.

“He asked us about how life had been since moving to the UK and settling here, how the local community had welcomed us, and about my husband and the army regiment he’d worked with.

“And he expressed his gratitude to us and welcomed us to the UK. It was an honour meeting him.”

Sanga is studying ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Entry Level 3 and has also started a Childcare course with a view to working in that field.

Programme Manager for ESOL Community & Outreach at Leeds City College, Alison Suckley, said: “Sanga has been with the ESOL department for about three years now and survived / thrived on the online work during the lockdowns, thanks to the hard work of her teacher, Szerena Meljan.

“Teachers in the ESOL department have made a lot of effort this year to help students progress to other courses in the Adult and Community department, which will hopefully lead to employment.”

Tweeting after his visit, Prince William said: “In Leeds today to celebrate the welcoming, diverse, resilient communities across the nation who are coming together to support those in need.

“The people of Yorkshire, along with thousands across the UK, are providing vital support to those who have recently evacuated Afghanistan.”

Amazing volunteers are an inspiration

Referring to CATCH, he added: “Youth charities around the UK play such an important role in ensuring the future generation are given every chance to fulfil their ambitions.

“None more so than @CATCHLeeds, a youth-led charity located in one of the more deprived areas of Leeds. These young people are so inspiring – hearing their stories, what they’ve experienced and how they now want to help the next generation to ensure they don’t have to face the same difficulties is amazing.

“Congratulations on receiving the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.”

All 15 councils in Yorkshire and the Humber have promised to resettle Afghan refugees whose lives would be in danger in Afghanistan, or who helped British forces.

For more details on CATCH Leeds visit catchleeds.co.uk.

Emily Kershaw’s hard work has paid off as she secures a place at University of Birmingham to study medicine in September after achieving three A* grades in Maths, Further Maths and Chemistry and an A in Biology.

Not only has she achieved incredible results, she was regularly the first in and last out of the class over the last two years and made use of the resources available, perfecting her craft and ensuring she came away with the results she needed.

She said: “I’m very, very happy and was really pleased with the results – I didn’t think I’d do so well.

“Without my biology and chemistry teachers I would not be doing medicine. The teachers at the college have always been so supportive in everything I’ve done.

“They were amazing!

“I work very well by myself so working online wasn’t too bad, but that was thanks to the teachers and the way we did the lessons – that really helped with my tests.

“It was a terrible two years overall because of Covid but the college did everything it could to make sure that part of it was a great experience.”​

Emily, who was nominated for the Leeds Sixth Form Student of the Year award, has also been credited with being enterprising, and often supported and inspired other students with her mind maps to help them link topics together and understand complex modules.

As well as her studies, Emily completed an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) in her enrichment time, studying possible cures for rabies. Her essay covered research on possible treatments and quality of life patients had after contracting the disease. This independent research, she says, reinforced her desire to study medicine as she pursued her ambitions of becoming a doctor in the armed forces.

That is how Aanam Munawwar describes her time at Leeds Sixth Form College as she looks forward to a career in medicine.

Aanam, who only moved to England in 2019, has just excelled in her A levels – securing three A*sgrades in biology, chemistry and psychology respectively.

Those results have ensured that she can take another step towards realising her dream of working for the NHS by studying MBChB (Medicine and Surgery) at the University of Leeds this September.

Aanam began her academic journey in the UK two years ago when she attended an open day at Leeds Sixth Form College – and went on to enjoy the ‘immense support’ that was offered to guide her in her studies.

Speaking at Leeds Sixth Form College just after finding out her grades, Aanam was full of praise for her teachers. She said: “I’ve had a very nice time and loved the two years that I spent here, where I’ve had very nice teachers who have been really supportive.

“I’m looking forward to having just a little celebration at home, enjoying some cakes with my family.”

An experience that exceeded all expectations

Recalling her first visit to the college, she added: “When I attended the open day in 2019 I was a bit concerned because I had Indian qualifications but I found the staff members to be so welcoming and supportive, and they helped me to get an equivalency check for my qualifications.

“All my subjects were equivalent to GCSEs except English so I had to take the winter  exam for that, which I passed.

“I also got the opportunity during the open day to attend subject taster sessions and really enjoyed the way everything was taught and how engaging it was.

“I chose to study at Leeds Sixth Form College because it provides a diverse and inclusive learning environment where I knew I could meet new people and make amazing friends.

 “I have had an excellent experience studying at the college which has definitely exceeded all my expectations. I have received a lot of support from my teachers, be it online or in person, and they always encouraged me to do my best.

“I have also enjoyed studying with my peers in the classrooms and by myself, in the Independent learning zones and libraries. And I have loved the food at the canteen and met fantastic people from so many cultures, learned a lot from them and made some great friends for life.”

Top marks in research project

Aanam also completed an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) at Leeds Sixth Form College while studying her A levels.

For EPQs students produce an in-depth piece of research on a topic of their choice for which they receive extra UCAS points.

Aanam received the top grade – and so maximum possible UCAS points – for her essay, which was entitled Can Mobile Health Bridge the Gap Between Patients and Healthcare Providers?

She said: “I am glad that I chose to do an EPQ not only because I got an A* and it looked good on my UCAS application, but because it helped me to develop my critical thinking and decision making skills.

“The amount of research I did allowed me to get a better understanding of healthcare systems and patients’ concerns, which is also beneficial for my career aspirations.”

Medical ambitions

She is now fully focused on the next stage of her education – and then beginning her healthcare career.

She said: “Initially, it was due to my interest in human physiology that I wanted to do medicine.

“But I made the decision to study medicine after attending taster sessions and completing my work experience, which allowed me to reflect on the challenges that the healthcare workers face.

“I also enjoy teamwork and want to become a part of a multidisciplinary team to help in patients’ management and treatment.

“I wish to make my family proud of me. Looking ahead, I am determined to pursue a career in medicine and contribute towards our NHS.”

Referring to her time at Leeds Sixth Form College, she added: “I have had an amazing journey and most enjoyable experience whilst studying here. I hope to use the skills and knowledge that I have gained as a Leeds Sixth Form College student to make a difference to people’s lives.”

To find out more about learning opportunities at Leeds Sixth Form College, visit leedssixthform.ac.uk/our-courses/courses, call 0113 386 1997 or email courses@leedssixthform.ac.uk.

For Tehrim Rashid, achieving the A levels she needed to secure her university place has come as a huge relief following all the stresses of the pandemic.

Tehrim found out she had received an A for physics and maths, and a B for chemistry, when she visited Leeds Sixth Form College on A level results day.

Those results mean she can now start a degree in Physics with Medical Physics at UCL (University College London), which was her preferred higher education destination.

Support key to overcoming difficulties

She said: “It’s been two very difficult years for me and I’m so happy to have got the results I needed to get into my favourite university. I’m happy, proud of my achievements, and relieved.

“I’m going to celebrate with my family and friends. My family supported me a lot – and my teachers at Leeds Sixth Form College have been so nice and helpful.

“Lockdown has been a challenge. I was working towards my exams and kind of panicked at first when they were cancelled.

“I’ve had a great time here and now I’m looking forward to university.

“For anyone who is about to start their A levels this year, I’d say work hard and ask the teachers for help when you need it.”

She added: “After university I would love to work in hospitals – or in nanotechnology, which I’m really interested in.”

For Rahim Karim, artificial intelligence is not just a fascinating field – it is also a potentially revolutionary tool to help the deaf community.

Leeds Sixth Form College student Rahim, who is profoundly deaf, is celebrating achieving A grades in A level maths, further maths and physics.

Those grades were achieved with the assistance of his sign language partner, Fiona Hudson, who has been supporting the 22 year old throughout his education.

He is now looking forward to starting a Computer Science with AI degree at the University of Leeds. Rahim is fascinated by the possibilities that artificial intelligence could open up and wrote his EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) on the subject of how AI could help people with hearing loss.

First class support

Speaking at Leeds Sixth Form College on A level results day, he credited his ‘amazing’ teachers for his success and is now looking forward to the next stage of his educational journey.

He said: “I feel good!

“Maths and further maths were very enjoyable because we had excellent teachers and I got along really well with them; that made it easy to remember what I learnt.

“I enjoyed physics too and the teacher was great, easy to get on with, had a lot of deaf awareness and was good at making everything visual.

“And the management team at the college were also really helpful and supportive.”

Overcoming barriers

As well as the extra educational challenges posed by having a hearing disability, Rahim also had to contend, like all students, with remote learning.

He said: “I was ok working at home and knew I could ask if I got stuck. It was difficult to start with but we got used to it.

“I got on with everything pretty well though there were some barriers in everyday situations – for example if I was in the library and my interpreter wasn’t with me, but I wanted to ask something.

“But we usually managed, and all the teachers had a lot of deaf awareness.”

Looking forward

He added: “I haven’t really got a celebration planned, I’ll go home to tell my family and maybe go out with my friends.

“I’m just really excited about going to university!

“For others who are about to start their A levels I’d say believe in yourself, work out what you’re capable of achieving and form strong relationships with your teachers and those you can work with to achieve your goals.”