On Wednesday 1st May, we celebrated another incredibly successful year of sport at our annual Sports Awards. The awards were an opportunity to celebrate the successes of our students and their sporting achievements this academic year, and to say goodbye to our A2 athletes.

Congratulations to all of the students who picked up a trophy at the event. List attached below:

Mental and Physical (M+P) Weeks

Bringing the College community together

M+P Weeks offer an opportunity for both staff and students to access activities, information sessions and resources to support mental health and well-being both in and out of the classroom. They highlight the importance placed on mental health and well-being by the College, offer an opportunity to explore the relationship between well-being and academic outcomes, and open a channel of communication between staff and students to allow a process of reflection.

See below the timetable of M+P Week student activities 7- 10 May.

Please note:

– Advance booking is essential on the following activities: Public Sexual Harassment bystander training (link sent out via teams) and Therapy Dog sessions with Billy (book via the Therapy Dog booking page on Moodle). All other sessions do not require booking, just turn up!⠀⠀
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– Skate hire will not be available for the Skate Dance session. Students should bring their own skates

We’re extremely proud to share that Julia Musoke-Duggan, Head of Psychology, completed the London Marathon at the weekend – and did so in an incredible time of 3:59:48!

Julia’s sub-4 hours achievement places her well above the average female finish time, which is 4:48:45.

“It was such an amazing and uplifting experience, I’m still buzzing!”

A remarkable achievement and some fabulous photos too. Well done, Julia!

Greenhead College’s latest building development has officially been opened by HRH The Duke of Gloucester KG GCVO.

The Hirst building, which has been fully funded by the Department for Education, and developed and constructed by Mace and Galliford Try, replaces the College’s 1960s Science block with vibrant, modern classrooms and laboratories for the teaching of A Levels in Biology, Chemistry, Medical Science, Government & Politics and Psychology. It also contains study and social space for all students. Its eco-friendly features include a bio roof and solar panels, which support the College’s drive for environmental sustainability.

His Royal Highness toured the building, visiting students and staff as their lessons took place, before cutting the ribbon and unveiling the plaque alongside Professor Judy Hirst to mark it officially open.

Simon Lett, Principal at Greenhead College said:

“We are honoured and grateful to His Royal Highness, the Duke of Gloucester, for inaugurating the new Hirst building. This new resource is named after Professor Judy Hirst, a former student of Greenhead College, whose support for science and especially championing women in STEM is truly valued. As one of the most successful Sixth Form Colleges in the country, these new classrooms and labs will enable Greenhead to go from strength-to-strength.”

Jack Broomhead, Senior Project Manager at Galliford Try, said:

“We are proud to have been part of creating this Net Zero carbon in operation facility for Greenhead College, demonstrating what can be achieved with a firm focus on sustainability.”

The Hirst building has been named after Professor Judy Hirst, who was also in attendance at the opening. Judy is a former Greenhead College student who has since gone on to be a pioneering woman in science and Fellow and Director of Studies in Chemistry at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Commenting on having the building named after her, Judy said:

“It’s a great honour to have the fantastic new science building at Greenhead College named after me.  Greenhead is where I started my journey as a scientist – it showed me I could succeed and sent me off into the world.  It’s also part of my identity.  My family have lived in Huddersfield for many generations (my grandmother attended Greenhead High School for Girls, as it was then) and the Hirst Building renews my sense of belonging and of being part of the Greenhead community.  But most of all, I am delighted to give my name to a building where so many talented young people will come to learn and study, and I look forward to seeing both Greenhead and its students continue to go from strength-to-strength.”

This week we have been celebrating Neurodiversity Week. At Greenhead College we understand and recognise the needs of our students and work closely with learners and their families, personalising programmes of study and supporting them to their post 18 destination.

Throughout the week various workshops and activities have taken place including:

• How to apply for the Disabled Students Allowance
• Dynamic timetabling drop-in session, looking at different ways to schedule revision
• Neurodiversity group, open to any students who consider themselves neurodiverse
• Finding out more about what life at university might look like. Ask a graduate Q&A session
• How to approach a university open day
• Consolidation and recall techniques

We are also delighted to share that Helen Mackey-Bowen, High Needs Provision Manager at Greenhead College has recently been approved as a licensed trainer for the National Autistic Society! This means that Helen is able to deliver various courses in-house to staff members, enhancing their professional development. This will involve exploring the experiences of autistic people, looking at communication differences, reviewing communication styles, challenging stereotypes and negative perceptions, sensory profiling and looking at how to individualise and shape our support for autistic people.  

Below is a photo of Helen delivering her first essential autism training to staff members on Wednesday.

Last week, 45 of our A Level Geography and Geology students experienced the beauty and power of ‘mother nature’ on their trip to Iceland.
The tectonic nature of Iceland is directly relevant to both A Level specifications and students visited some of their case studies from the course, such as the volcanic Island of Heimaey, where they walked on the lava from the 1973 eruption, the rift valley of Thingvellir National Park, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are diverging, as well as seeing real lava in a demonstration at the Lava Show in Reykjavik.
Not only was the week educational, but one which has left students with a love of Iceland and memories for life!