Reaseheath College earns top marks for its Higher Education

15 October 2014/in Reaseheath News/by Liz Green

Reaseheath College’s higher education students receive an excellent experience, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has confirmed.

The QAA, which is the HE equivalent of Ofsted, has judged that the quality of degrees offered by Reaseheath and the way they are delivered is worthy of commendation and in a number of areas exceeds UK expectations. The findings, published last month, can be found at www.reaseheath.ac.uk/qaa

QAA reviewers who visited the specialist college in Nantwich judged that its academic standards and the quality of information about its learning opportunities met UK expectations. They particularly commended the quality and enhancement of student learning opportunities, finding that in those two areas the college exceeded expectations.

The review team was impressed with the college’s extensive links to employers and the extent to which they were involved in the design, quality assurance and delivery of higher education courses.

The reviewers also found that the college effectively manages its resources, using a co-ordinated and systematic approach to support its students’ academic, personal and professional development so that they reach their full potential.

They noted that all Higher Education programmes include work-based learning, work placements, internships or other opportunities for students to gain relevant work experience.

The review team found seven examples of good practice and no recommendations for improvement.

Assistant Principal and Dean of HE Rachel Ellis-Jones said: “I am delighted that the excellent quality and delivery of higher education at Reaseheath has been identified and recognised by the Quality Assurance Agency.

“The continued investment which Reaseheath makes into its specialist facilities and expert staff was also noted. This investment is a major part of Reaseheath’s ethos, which is to encourage and support our degree students as they progress into careers within their chosen industries.”

The successful review means that Reaseheath can now display the QAA Quality Mark, indicating to UK and international students that the college meets national requirements for standards and quality.

Reaseheath offers specialist degrees in animal science, adventure sports, agricultural science, equine science, environmental management, agricultural engineering, food science and landscape design.

Sports science at Reaseheath supports Crewe Alex fitness programme

1 September 2014/in Reaseheath News/by Liz Green

Cutting edge sport science equipment at Reaseheath College is helping Crewe Alexandra FC’s first team squad to train throughout the season.

All first team players have visited the Nantwich college to use a new sports science laboratory which forms part of a significant investment into the campus gym.

Sports science lab Stuart Fisher, Lauren Goff, James Earl, James Baillie first team player

First team full-back James Baillie is tested in Reaseheath’s sports science lab while student James Earl records data and sports lecturers Lauren Goff and Stuart Fisher oversee data collection

The squad went through maximal fitness testing on a top-of-the-range medical treadmill. The data will be used by Andy Franks, Head of Sports Science and Conditioning at Crewe Alex, to check the base level of fitness of each player and to set personalised training programmes. The players will return for retesting later in the season to check their progress.

The data collection was carried out by Reaseheath Level 3 Extended Diploma in Sport Performance students, many of whom will progress to careers in coaching or sport fitness.

Course Manager Richard Brooke explained: “This was a fantastic opportunity for our students to practice and develop their skills by working with local, talented, professional athletes. Our students learn sports science and coaching techniques as part of their course and this has been a chance for them to see how critical these skills are in the industry they plan to join. We have also been delighted to support Crewe Alex.”

Andy Franks said: “This has been a great opportunity which has been much appreciated by first team players and our sports science staff. By using sophisticated testing equipment we have been able to set accurate training zones for our pre-season training programmes, individualised for each player.”

Reaseheath College and Crewe Alex FC have a well established partnership. Reaseheath delivers the academic training to Crewe Alex Academy apprentices, with scholars achieving the best grades in the country. In return, many of Reaseheath’s sports performance students complete work experience with Crewe Alex, gaining an insight into the possibilities of career progression within the football industry.

Reaseheath’s new gym is used to train students on sports performance and public services courses and is open to the college’s staff and students.

For further details on Reaseheath’s sports courses see www.reaseheath.ac.uk/sport

A great day at the Nantwich Show

31 July 2014/in Alumni news, Reaseheath News/by Liz Green

What a great Nantwich Show it proved to be this year! It was great to meet up with so many industry partners and current and ex students at our local show. Our stand which was awarded second in the Trade Stand Competition, was really busy with visitors.

Pictured to the left is Alumni Officer Katie Burt with Ian Bates, a student in the 1970s who now runs his own feed supplements business, Stock-Pride Nutrition Ltd.

We were delighted to be awarded two awards in the Nantwich International Cheese Show. Our Cheshire cheese took silver in a highly contested class for Novice Cheesemakers and our Derby cheese was awarded bronze in the specialist cheesemaker section. Both cheeses were made by our Year 2 Eden students and weighed 20kg.

This was a great accolade for our students, as this show is truly the best of the best, with 4,400 cheeses entered from 23 countries! Staff from our Food Centre stewarded for the judges.

Here’s Food Technologists Andrea Winkler, Jane Gilman and Penny Masters with our award winning cheeses.

Three of our Bakery and Patisserie students had a great experience assisting celebrity chefs James Martin, Will Holland, Jonathan Harrison and Sean Wilson during their cooking demonstrations. Cedric Mandaya and Jordan Slawinski have just finished their Level 3 course and are off to find jobs while Aaron Dixon is moving onto Level 3 from Level 2 in September.

Here they are with James Martin.

We also had success showing youngstock from the Reaseheath Holstein dairy herd – our students came away with five rosettes!

Kirsty Taylor won a heifer class with Reaseheath Fever Marissa and Liberty Turner with Reaseheath Fever Livorno came second.

Becky Harper won the handler class (21 -26 yrs) while Kirsty took second and Liberty was third in the handler class (17 – 20 yrs)

We also showed three lambs in the butchers lamb class.

Reaseheath students are top of the tree at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park

29 July 2014/in Reaseheath News/by Sophie Tatton

Reaseheath College garden designers and florists completed a phenomenally successful RHS Flower Show Tatton Park by winning two top awards and helping Cheshire’s leading visitor attractions to achieve another.

A team of ten Foundation Degree Garden and Landscape Design students achieved one of just three gold medals in the prestigious show garden section with their innovative edible garden ‘A Taste of Wythenshawe’.

Sponsored by Wythenshawe Community Housing Group (WCHG), the garden incorporated innovative and creative approaches to growing edible plants including hydroponics and sculptural features. It celebrated Real Food Wythenshawe, a five year £1 million Big Lottery-funded community food campaign led by WCHG which promotes ways that people can grow their own fruit and vegetables and cook healthy, economical meals.

Dougal Philip, Chair of the judges, said: “This was a magnificent garden which was strong, exciting and innovative and with wonderful detail. The fact that it was designed and built by a team could have posed problems but everyone has worked together. Reaseheath’s students should be really proud of what they have achieved.”

The garden will now be rebuilt in Wythenshawe Park, where it will be shared by the local community. The re-instatement will be carried out by members of the Turnaround team, a programme developed by WCHG to offer training and potential employment opportunities to those with criminal records. All team members have been trained by Reaseheath and have successfully gained their NPTC Level 2 horticulture award.

Florists Anna Eite, Zoe Sillito and Wendy Anderson celebrate winning RHS Tatton Park Floristry College of the Year

Reaseheath florists were also celebrating after winning the prestigious new RHS Tatton Park Floristry College of the Year Competition. Level 3 Diploma in Floristry students Anna Eite, Zoe Sillito and Wendy Anderson took the title against competition from four other colleges and will compete at the national finals at the Chelsea Flower Show 2015. They also won a silver gilt medal for their creative, carnival themed stand.

Reaseheath RHS Level 2 and 3 Certificate in Horticulture students helped to build a carnival themed stand for the Cheshire Gardens of Distinction, which was awarded Best Show Feature. The group, which this year celebrates its 10^th birthday, was represented by Arley Hall and Gardens, Adlington Hall and Gardens, Cholmondeley Castle and Gardens, Fryers Roses of Knutsford, Biddulph Grange, Norton Priory, Bluebell Cottage Gardens and Nurseries and the Cheshire Gardens Trust.

Tracy Walker and Chairman Sam Youd on the Cheshire Gardens of Distinction stand

Reaseheath Horticulture lecturer Tracy Walker co-ordinated the stand, which was in the ‘Inspire’ zone, an area dedicated to cutting edge design and fresh ideas. Each of the eight gardens featured ‘The Rose of Distinction’, a new floribunda rose launched by Fryers Roses to celebrate the group’s birthday.

Other successes included Jonathan Price, who is studying for his BSc Landscape Design and Management at Reaseheath, taking a silver medal for his show garden De Musica Mundana and former floristry student Adrian Thomas being awarded gold in the open floral design competition. Adrian runs his own on-line business, Verdure Floral Design. Floristry lecturers Ruth Clarke and Fiona Davies, representing Reaseheath, won a silver medal in the same section.

And in a final coup, Level 3 Extended Diploma in Horticulture student Richard Carden won his way through to the 2014 WorldSkills UK Landscape Gardening finals after a high profile three day competition held at the show.

WorldSkills UK Landscape Gardening finalist Richard Carden

The Landscape Gardening Competition, organised by the Association of Professional Landscapers, is designed to highlight the skills and potential of young people. Finalists are considered for an international squad.

Richard will now compete at the Olympic-styled finals at The Skills Show at Birmingham NEC in November against top students from other colleges.

This was Richard’s first major competition, although he designed and built a garden for a competition held during Reaseheath’s Family Festival in May and helped to rebuild it as a feature on the college’s award winning stand at the Cheshire Show in June.

He said: “I can only describe it as being as close as landscape gardening can get to being a military operation. There was no let up at all as we had to complete the garden to a tight deadline. But I really enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to improving my skills ready for the national finals.”

The show garden design and build team with television gardening presenter Toby Buckland

Reaseheath landscape gardener wins place in national finals

29 July 2014/in Reaseheath News/by Sophie Tatton

Reaseheath College horticulture student Richard Carden won his way through to the 2014 WorldSkills UK Landscape Gardening finals after a high profile three day competition at last week’s RHS Flower Show Tatton Park.

The Landscape Gardening Competition, organised by the Association of Professional Landscapers, is designed to highlight the skills and potential of young people. Finalists are considered for an international squad.

Richard, 19, of Tattenhall, will compete at the Olympic-styled finals at The Skills Show at Birmingham NEC in November against top students from other colleges.

Competitors in the RHS Tatton heat were challenged to build a garden from scratch in 22 hours. The competition was held in sweltering temperatures and in front of the many thousands of visitors who attended the show.

The garden, designed by leading Cheshire designer Alexandra Froggatt, tested a wide range of landscaping skills and included paving, blockwork, a raised bed, timberwork and planting.

Lead judge Jody Lidgard said; “Congratulations to all the competitors. It was a very close competition and workmanship was high in all the gardens. I have every admiration for the lads, who just kept going despite the heat. They all should be proud of their achievements. They have represented their colleges with pride.”

Richard, a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Horticulture student, was one of a team who designed and built the winning garden at a competition held during Reaseheath’s Family Festival in May. He then helped to rebuild the garden as a feature on the college’s award winning stand at the Cheshire Show in June.

The former Bishop Heber High School, Malpas, pupil said: “Tatton was my first major competition and I can only describe it as being as close as landscape gardening can get to being a military operation. There was no let up at all as we had to complete the garden to a tight deadline.

“But I really like that aspect of the competition and I’m looking forward to building on my skills in preparation for the final.”

Students from Reaseheath College, in Nantwich, carried off several key awards at the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park. An innovate fruit and vegetable garden ‘A Taste of Wythenshawe’, designed and built by Foundation Degree in Garden and Landscape Design students, was awarded a gold medal while student florists took the new Tatton Park Floristry College of the Year title.

Reaseheath students studying for RHS certificates also helped to build a stand for Cheshire Gardens of Distinction, which won Best Show Feature.

It’s party time for Cheshire Gardens of Distinction!

24 July 2014/in Reaseheath News/by Liz Green

Happy tenth birthday to Cheshire Gardens of Distinction! This formidable organisation, which represents the county’s greatest gardens, celebrated its anniversary in style at the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park on Wednesday 23rd July with a wonderful cake made by Reaseheath’s Bakery and Patisserie Department. Performances by the Hub Dancers and medieval musician Tom Hughes were also part of the party.

CGoD’s stand showcases gardens from eight of its members: Arley Hall, Adlington Hall, Biddulph Grange, Cholmondeley Castle, Fryers Roses of Knutsford, Norton Priory, Bluebell Cottage Gardens and the Cheshire Gardens Trust. Each garden features ‘The Rose of Distinction’, a new floribunda rose launched by Fryers Roses to celebrate the group’s tenth birthday.

Reaseheath horticulture lecturer Tracey Walker has co-ordinated the stand which is in the ‘Inspire’ zone, an area dedicated to cutting edge design and fresh ideas. And as a ‘thank you’ she was presented with a beautiful rose bush by CGoD chair Sam Youd, former head gardener at Tatton Park.

Earlier in the day, part of ITV’s ‘Good Morning Britain’ was presented from the stand. You can watch the broadcast again here, the stand features at both 43 minutes and 1 hour 29 minutes into the programme.

Cheshire Gardens of Distinction is at Inspire 149 at the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park, which runs until Sunday July 27^th.

Good luck Richard!

23 July 2014/in Reaseheath News/by Liz Green

Talented Level 3 Extended Diploma in Horticulture Richard Carden is representing Reaseheath in the WorldSkills UK Landscape Gardening Semi Finals at the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park.

He is one of six students challenged to build a 2m x 6m garden designed by award winning designer Alexandra Froggatt.

Competition entries were the highest yet and Richard successfully completed a theory test and tie-breaker exercise to claim his place in the semi-finals. The competitors have three days to complete their gardens, with the results being announced on Friday.

The judges are Association of Professional Landscapers chairman Mark Gregory, garden designer and four times RHS gold medal winner Adam Frost, landscape firm owner Jody Lidgard and 2011 WorldSkillsUK medal winner Simon Abbott.

Winners from the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park will compete at the WorldSkills UK finals, to be held at The Skills Show, Birmingham NEC, in November. There they will fight for the national title in front of 70,000 people and will also be in the running for selection for the international WorldSkills Competition in Sao Paulo, Brazil, next year.

Reaseheath florists win RHS Tatton Park Floristry College of the Year

23 July 2014/in Reaseheath News/by Liz Green

Reaseheath floristry students were celebrating after winning the RHS Tatton Park Floristry College of the Year Competition yesterday.

This prestigious new competition is open to UK based floristry colleges and training providers and showcases the talent of students.

Level 3 Diploma in Floristry students Anna Eite, Zoe Sillito and Wendy Anderson, supported by Programme Leader for Floristry Sue Poole, were awarded first place against strong competition from four other colleges and will go through to the final at the Chelsea Flower Show 2015.

The students created five carnival themed designs using flowers with a colour theme of red, gold, green and orange: a mask, a wall hanging, an arrangement, a wired bouquet and a planted design.

As well as winning the college competition they also won a silver gilt medal for their stand.

This has been the second great result for our floristry department this summer, as Anna and Zoe won second and third places respectively at a recent WorldSkills UK competition.

Come and see our student design and our college stand in the Floral Design Studio at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park, Wednesday July 23 (members only) to Sunday July 27

Reaseheath’s show garden adds flavour to RHS Flower Show

17 July 2014/in Reaseheath News/by Liz Green

A truly edible show garden, A Taste of Wythenshawe celebrates the success of community health and welfare programmes led by sponsors the Wythenshawe Community Housing Group (WCHG).

Designed and built by Foundation Degree Garden and Landscape Design students from Reaseheath College and on display next week at the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park, the garden incorporates innovative and creative approaches to growing edible plants suitable for a 21^st century urban community.

Its inspiration is Real Food Wythenshawe, a five year £1 million Big Lottery-funded community food campaign led by WCHG which promotes ways that people can grow their own fruit and vegetables and cook healthy, economical meals.

After the show the garden will be rebuilt in Wythenshawe Park, where it will be shared by the local community. The re-instatement will be carried out by members of the Turnaround team, a programme developed by WCHG to offer training and potentially employment opportunities to those with criminal records.

All team members have been trained by Reaseheath College and have successfully gained their NPTC Level 2 horticulture award. One member, Stephen Cleator, is now employed in WCHG’s grounds maintenance department.

The Turnaround team assisted in the show build and the local community were involved in pre-show planning and development.

Said WCHG Chief Executive Nigel Wilson: “The Real Food Wythenshawe campaign supports and encourages residents to take control over what they and their families eat. It demonstrates that healthy eating is possible for everyone, regardless of age, budget, ability or time constraints. In the same way, the garden promotes growing and eating home grown produce and, at the same time, reducing food miles and carbon footprint.

“We are delighted to be partnering Reaseheath College with this innovative show garden and even more excited about the prospect of bringing it back home to Wythenshawe. The icing on the cake, for us, is that the Turnaround team are playing a central role in this truly community based project.”

A Taste of Wythenshawe is in the Feast zone, an area which celebrates fresh produce and the joy of growing and cooking home grown food. Cookery demonstrations will take place in the zone using vegetables and fruit from the plot.

The garden design uses interlocking segments to form a crescent shape which mirrors the layout of Wythenshawe’s original garden city. It reflects the concept of the ‘three magnets’: Countryside as an edible ‘forest garden’, Town as a community seat and eat area and Town/Country, a community garden combining edible and ornamental planting. Tramlines represent the connection of Wythenshawe to Manchester through expansion of the Metrolink.

Hydroponics, an aeroponic tower and sculptural features such as rebar trees made by Reaseheath’s Engineering Department offer opportunities for vertical growing to save space and water.Food foraging is promoted through an edible meadow, a foraging forest, a herb living wall, a salad table and a traditional allotment with chicken coup. Pollinating insects, especially bees, are encouraged by a wide variety of pollinator plants and recycled materials are used wherever possible.

The design and build team are students who have just completed their Foundation Degree in Garden and Landscape Design. Most are returning to college for a further year’s study to complete their BSc Landscape Design and Management.

For further details of RHS Flower Show Tatton Park see www.rhs.org.uk/shows

For further details of Reaseheath’s horticulture courses see www.reaseheath.ac.uk/horticulture

Reaseheath students gear up for RHS Flower Show Tatton Park

16 July 2014/in Reaseheath News/by Liz Green

Reaseheath College garden designers and florists are gearing up for the prestigious RHS Flower Show Tatton Park (July 23 – July 27). We have an impressive medal record for our show gardens and floral designs and our students are hoping to add to the tally with this year’s entries.

Feast 291 A Taste of Wythenshawe

The show garden team busy growing on their vegetables

A team of Foundation Degree Garden and Landscape Design students, helped by fellow learners from all horticultural courses, are creating an edible show garden in the ‘Feast’ zone, an area which celebrates fresh produce and the joy of growing and cooking home grown food.

Sponsored by Wythenshawe Community Housing Group (WCHG), the garden incorporates innovative and creative approaches to growing edible plants including hydroponics and sculptural features. It celebrates Real Food Wythenshawe, a five year £1 million Big Lottery-funded community food campaign led by WCHG which promotes ways that people can grow their own fruit and vegetables and cook healthy, economical meals.

After the show the garden will be rebuilt in Wythenshawe Park, where it will be shared by the local community.

Said WCHG Chief Executive Nigel Wilson: “The Real Food Wythenshawe campaign supports and encourages residents to take control over what they and their families eat. It demonstrates that healthy eating is possible for everyone, regardless of age, budget, ability or time constraints.

“We are delighted to be partnering Reaseheath College with this innovative show garden and even more excited about the prospect of bringing it back home to Wythenshawe.”

The garden re-instatement at Wythenshawe will be carried out by members of the Turnaround team, who have also assisted in the show build. The Turnaround programme was developed by WCHG to offer training and potentially employment opportunities to those with criminal records. All team members have been trained by Reaseheath and have successfully gained their NPTC Level 2 horticulture award.

Inspire 149 Cheshire Gardens of Distinction

Reaseheath RHS students are helping to build a carnival themed show feature for the Cheshire Gardens of Distinction, which this year celebrates its 10^th birthday. The group will be represented by eight leading visitor attractions: Arley Hall and Gardens, Adlington Hall and Gardens, Cholmondeley Castle and Gardens, Fryers Roses of Knutsford, Biddulph Grange, Norton Priory, Bluebell Cottage Gardens and Nurseries and the Cheshire Gardens Trust.

Reaseheath Horticulture lecturer Tracey Walker has helped to co-ordinate the stand, which is in the ‘Inspire’ zone, an area dedicated to cutting edge design and fresh ideas. Each of the eight gardens will feature ‘The Rose of Distinction’, a new floribunda rose being launched by Fryers Roses to celebrate the group’s centenary.

Floral Design Studio

Reaseheath florists will showcase their talents with a creative, carnival themed stand.

Five floristry students will also compete in the new Floristry College of the Year Competition. Level 3 Diploma in Floristry students Anna Eite, Zoe Sillito, Wendy Anderson, Carron White and Christine Roberts will be supported by Programme Leader for Floristry Sue Poole.

The students will create five designs using flowers with a colour theme of red, green and yellow: a mask, a wall hanging, an arrangement, a wired bouquet and a planted design. The winning college will go through to the final at the Chelsea Flower Show 2015.

Hopes are high for a good result, as Anna and Zoe won second and third places respectively at a recent WorldSkills UK competition.

WorldSkills UK Landscape Gardening Semi Finals

Talented Level 3 Extended Diploma in Horticulture Richard Carden will represent Reaseheath in this prestigious competition. He is one of eight students (divided into teams of two) challenged to build 2m x 6m gardens designed by Alexandra Froggatt.

Competition entries were the highest yet and Richard successfully completed a theory test and tie-breaker exercise to claim his place in the semi-finals. The judges will be Association of Professional Landscapers chairman Mark Gregory, garden designer and four times RHS gold medal winner Adam Frost, landscape firm owner Jody Lidgard and 2011 WorldSkillsUK medal winner Simon Abbott.

Winners from the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park will compete at the WorldSkills UK finals, to be held at The Skills Show, Birmingham NEC, in November. There they will fight for the national title in front of 70,000 people and will also be in the running for selection for the international WorldSkills Competition in Sao Paulo, Brazil, next year.

You can find out more about our Garden and Landscape Design, Horticulture and Floral Design courses on our website.

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