West Lancashire College

Season's Greetings from West Lancashire College 🎄❤️

2024 has been a remarkable year for West Lancashire College and we are so proud of how dedicated our staff are to providing students with the very best education 🥰 This video is a small snippet of our first term, from August to December, showcasing the very best of WLC and we just know that 2025 will be incredible! 🌟 Lisa Hoseason Gareth Sutton Wendy Bennett Jane Hines Alex Huskisson Amanda Maddocks Debbie Parkes Lynsey Makin Neil Farrell Tony Robinson

🎆 Wrap up of my 2024 with a top 10 🎆 1. BIBAs 2025 Award Win We proudly won the prestigious BiBAs Skills Provider of the Year award, which highlights our exceptional commitment to delivering top-tier education and training. 2. Numeracy Week Numeracy Week took place in October and provided our students with a variety of activities, aimed at enhancing their numeracy skills and to provide an understanding of how it links with their chosen course. Debbie Parkes 3. Literacy Week A few weeks later, we celebrated Literacy Week that highlighted the importance of reading, writing and effective communication in future job roles. 4. Skelmersdale Ambassadors I was proud to join the Skelmersdale Ambassadors programme through West Lancashire Borough Council in February as both an individual and as part of the college, to champion the growth and success of our local community. Lisa Ratican 5. Senior Leadership Team Joining the SLT team in February was an honour and it allows me to contribute to senior decision-making, ensuring that our staff and students are provided with the best opportunities to thrive and succeed. Thank you to Lisa Hoseason, Gareth Sutton, Wendy Bennett and Jane Hines who welcomed me with open arms – it’s been a pleasure to learn so much from you all. 6. STEM Festival For the fourth year running, we hosted our annual STEM Festival for a number of Year 9 and Year 10 high school students. We offered an exciting opportunity for local young people to expand their scientific, technology, engineering and mathematical knowledge. Dawn Hughes 7. Community Fun Day In September, we proudly hosted our very first Community Fun Day, welcoming the local community onto campus for a few hours of enjoyment, featuring an array of companies offering delicious food and showcasing beautiful crafts for all to explore and savour. 8. TikTok The launch of the college TikTok in October threw me into the spotlight as I took on the Gen-Z trend and since then, ‘slay’ and ‘hey bestie’ has been mentioned to me more times than I want to admit. Emma Louise Dagnall, our Marketing Executive, had a vision for a number of pieces of content and it’s safe to say that she has done brilliantly – especially with the West 17 video! 9. Our Events Throughout 2024, we have hosted a vast amount of events: Open Events, IAG Evenings, student-based events and many more! These events are carefully planned by Jane and Dawn who conduct an exceptional job and with the support from our staff and student ambassadors, they run perfectly! 10. Working at WLC It’s an absolute pleasure to work at West Lancashire College, where being part of a dedicated team of individuals inspires me to continuously strive for the very best for our students, as our staff regularly go the extra mile to support their success. What has been the highlight of your year? Have a great 2025, everyone!

The last day of work & a term boxed off at West Lancashire College….. and what a term it’s been. It’s been an absolute pleasure to guide learners this far in their college journey and through the highs and those challenges we’re making great progress. Some key points stand out: T level skills work & festive competition, seeing the uniforms arrive for the first time, a trip to Liverpool John Moores University for clinical skills, pyjonsie day for a local charity, cards for kindness sessions, plenty of exceptional presentations, being enrolled on the aspire programme NCG and of course the festive staffroom competition 🎉 Moving role mid year is always an interesting challenge but having received the warmest welcome off the team I can honestly say I now feel like I’ve been there years 😂 - what a great team we have on Level 3, the different specialisms, strengths and enthusiasm, combined with a clear competitive streak really do form a great mix that works exceptionally well. Here’s to the new year, the festive season & what’s to come for the rest of the academic year 🤩 Association of Colleges Department for Education #Teamwork #OurColleges #FE

🎉 Reflecting on 2024: A Year of Growth, Success, and Milestones 🎉 As we approach the end of 2024, I’ve taken some time to reflect on a year filled with challenges, growth, and achievements—both professionally and personally. It’s been a remarkable journey, and I’m thrilled to share my Top 10 Highlights of the Year, as well as a few personal moments that made this year unforgettable. 🌟 Professional Highlights 1️⃣ BIBAs 2025 2024 Skills Provider of the Year In October, we proudly received the BiBAs award for Skills Provider of the Year—a testament to the incredible work of our staff and the opportunities we provide for our students. 🏆 2️⃣ Ofsted Visit In November, Ofsted visited West Lancashire College. Our staff shone during the inspection, and we’re demonstrating a real team effort. 3️⃣ The Lancashire Colleges Limited Skills Competition Success In March, our students showcased their talents in #Engineering and #Early #Years #Education, earning multiple awards, including three Rising Stars. 🌟 4️⃣ International Turing Scheme UK Thanks to Turing funding, students embarked on life-changing placements in Malta, Cyprus, and Vienna. These experiences were truly invaluable! 🌍 5️⃣ Student Christmas Celebration Our festive celebration brought the community together with student-made gifts, carols from St James Primary School, and a standout performance by Alessandro, one of our talented students. 🎄 6️⃣ Student Support Our commitment to student success has been enhanced through collaborations with local businesses, creating pathways to employment, and industry placements. 7️⃣ Expanded Employer & School Links This year, we strengthened partnerships with schools and businesses, enriching student experiences and paving the way for future collaborations. 8️⃣ HCRG Care Group Award Win In February, we won the Successful Partnership category at the HCRG Care Group Awards—a tribute to the teamwork and dedication of our staff. 9️⃣ Reconnecting with My First Apprentice In April, I was delighted to welcome Kurt back to campus—my very first apprentice—and see how far he’s come. 🔟 Campus Investment We secured £1m in funding to enhance our campus, including new teaching spaces, employability hubs, and student social areas. 💡 ✨ Personal Highlights 🌟 My son Joe celebrated his Year 11 prom, marking a big milestone in his journey. 🌟 My daughter Megan shared the wonderful news that I’ll become a grandparent in early 2025! 👶 🌟 Turning 50 was made unforgettable by my amazing wife Donna, who whisked me off to Paris for a magical weekend. This year has been one to cherish, filled with growth, learning, and incredible achievements. I’d like to thank everyone who has been part of this journey. Your support, collaboration, and dedication make a world of difference. Here’s to 2025—may it bring even more success, joy, and memorable moments for us all! Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 🎄✨ #Reflection #Gratitude #Education #Collaboration #HappyNewYear

A lovely start to my #wellbeing, and #culture day at West Lancashire College! A fantastic walk with my little dog, we were watched by a small herd of deer, then followed by a Robin. Well being of our teams is so important, and has such a big impact. The team is the heart of our college enabling our students to have an amazing experience with us. Off to continue later when I pick Donna up. #wellbeing #greatcollege #fantasticculture

An unexpected topic of conversation with Gareth on Monday afternoon allowed me to think about how much I’ve achieved this year at West Lancashire College and that while we often praise others, we should also praise ourselves and not bring ourselves down 🥰. With that in mind, I thought about what I've achieved this year at work: ▪️ Almost 1,050,000 impressions across Facebook and LinkedIn ▪️ Almost 340,000 page views on our website ▪️ The launch of the WLC TikTok with support from Alex trusting my initial idea ▪️ The production of high-quality content before, during and after our incredible events that Dawn organises to perfection ▪️ Continuation of creating strong content across our social media in both photographic and video form With only 2 working days left to conquer next week before signing off for the year, I’m looking forward to the participation of the NCG Aspire Workshop in 2025, which will support me in developing the hands-on skills needed to be an effective leader, as well as entering my third year of working at WLC. As always, the working year is successful because I have an outstanding manager in Jane who guides me, shapes me and perfects me throughout the projects that we embark on as a team. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, Emma x

🎄Happy Holidays to Our Exceptional FE Educators!🎄 As the year comes to a close, I want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to my colleagues at West Lancashire College Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a joyful New Year filled with continued success and happiness. Thank you for making every day brighter! #EducationHeroes #MerryChristmas #HappyHolidays #TeamSpirit #Gratitude

Our staff Christmas conference has been the perfect way to end a very busy 2024 for everyone at WLC 🎄 We have had a tremendous year and 2025 is looking to be even better! Well done to our LDS team for winning the Staffroom Festive Decoration competition! 👏🏻

To end the college year on a high, we proudly celebrated a selection of students who have gone above and beyond in demonstrating exceptional behaviour, attendance and commitment to their course! 🌟 To honour their hard work and dedication, they were awarded certificates of achievement and the winners received vouchers as a token of our appreciation. Students, you’ve set a fantastic example for your peers and shown what it means to strive for excellence. Well done to you all 👏❤ Gareth, Wendy, Amanda, Tony, Lynsey, Debbie, Neil