Category: News

Recently A level Economics students from Emmanuel and St Mary’s combined to take part in the inaugural A’ level Economics conference.

Students were treated to talks from speakers from Greenwich University, EzyEducation, Barclays and BT covering topics such as market structures and studying. Economics at university. We are grateful to the support from our external speakers who included CTK alumni. Student feedback on the day was overwhelmingly positive.

French A Level student Taiwo Tinubu was nominated by her peers and teacher for the Jack Petchey awardShe received the award for her kindness, her helpfulness and her calm and positive attitude.

Taiwo decided with her peers to go and watch HighLife a French Film, directed by Claire Denis at the French Institute in South Kensington followed by a French dinner at Cote Brasserie.

The students thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and were very thankful to Taiwo to have shared her award with them this way.

During the last week of February, a group of students from Christ the King Sixth Forms took part in a retreat at the Kintbury retreat house. Along with students from St Charles 6^thform, they spent 3 days examining who they were as a person, searching deep their own relationship with God surrounded by the beautifully picturesque Berkshire countryside. Hosted and facilitated by the excellent Kintbury volunteers, the students had a truly fantastic experience. As one attendee said

“I think it was amazing. It was a chance to relax and take a break from your life outside of the retreat. It gave me an opportunity to make friends and meet amazing people.”

Students at Christ the King: St Mary’s were honoured to have Vicky Fleetwood, who plays rugby for England, come and give a talk and Q&A session.

Vicky spoke about her journey through her childhood in relation to rugby and touched on different setbacks and how she overcame them. Vicky talked about her achievements in rugby and this really seemed to inspire everyone in the room, especially the girls. She also gave details on how the students could get involved with rugby in the local community even if they hadn’t played before. There were some fantastic questions asked at the end and proved the high engagement of our students. Thank you Vicky!

Christ the King Sixth Forms was proud to host a Mercy Love and Forgiveness conference this week.  We were excited to be able to welcome distinguished speakers Reverend Jonathan Aitken, Lord Alton, Dr Lewis Herrington, Archdeacon of Hackney Elizabeth Adekunle, Jo Berry and Barry and Margaret Mizen.

This academic conference is part of a series of activities and events aimed at giving explicit effect to our mission. The conference explored and embedded key themes which stem from our college motto ‘Ut Vitam Habeant’ (That they may have life in all its fullness John 10:10), those key themes are Mercy, Forgiveness and Love.

Current global and local issues such as excesses of materialism, loneliness, religious persecution, poverty, humanitarian crisis and environmental concerns are just some of the political, social and economic questions facing us all. Drawing on gospel values we hope to begin to explore our spirituality and to examine how Mercy, Forgiveness and Love play a crucial role in transforming our communities, ourselves and leading us to greater love for all creation.

This opportunity to listen, engage and reflect would hopefully have helped to guide leaders of current and future generations to a world that is unafraid to show mercy, forgiveness and love. It will challenge us all to live a good life in all its fullness.

Christ the King Sixth Forms were delighted to recently invite David Thompson, renowned film and TV producer, to come and give an inspiring talk to over 100 Media students from across our sites.

David has produced/executive produced over 100 films and been the recipient of multiple awards, including three BAFTAs, two Golden Globes, and three Emmys.

 David spoke to students about his career as the former head of BBC Films as well as being an independent film and TV producer. He spoke in detail about many of his films including ‘Mandela’ and ‘Billy Elliot’ explaining the many challenges he had in producing them.  

 David also explained about the opportunities for students in the film industry and how best for them forge a career if this was a path they were keen to pursue. Students were delighted that he spent almost an hour talking on a one to one basis to those that remained after his talk. 

Many congratulations to our three Christ the King: St Mary’s students who recently received prestigious achievement awards by the London Borough of Bexley.

Sade Sekoni was awarded the prize for Service to the College Community through her role of Student Governor. Ben Hogan received recognition for academic achievement, and Jekaterina Jekimtseva received an award for the tremendous progress and endeavour she has displayed since joining the College in September 2017. Well done!

On Wednesday 5th December 2018 the Year 12 and 13 Basketball team hosted a KCSP Basketball competition in our St Mary’s sports hall. The boys competed in 4 pool games against our Emmanuel site, Colfe’s School, Knights Academy and Bromley South East College.

Slam dunks, three pointers and offensive rebounds abounded as all five teams demonstrated a high level of skill and dedication. The closest fought match, perhaps unsurprisingly, was between the two Christ the King sites; unfortunately for us the Emmanuel team edged the game by one basket.

After the final basket has been slammed, the Knights Academy team had triumphed; fittingly enough as their name is closest sounding to a professional team…

We would like to thank all players for their hard work and dedication in representing the college and staff in helping us prepare. They compete in a range of sports from football to athletics and is always very competitive!

A group of 10 students from our partner school, Bonus Pastor, visited the maths department at CTK St Marys to experience a real Maths A Level class.

These students took part in two A Level Maths lessons alongside our Year 12 students covering Trigonometry and Differentiation. They gained valuable insights on the challenge of A Level maths, building upon their existing Trigonometry knowledge with more complex and unstructured A Level questions. They were able to try the new ClassWiz calculators required at A Level and enjoyed taking part in group work using our MultiBoards.

A group of 10 students from our partner school, Bonus Pastor, visited the maths department at CTK St Marys to experience a real Maths A Level class.

These students took part in two A Level Maths lessons alongside our Year 12 students covering Trigonometry and Differentiation. They gained valuable insights on the challenge of A Level maths, building upon their existing Trigonometry knowledge with more complex and unstructured A level questions. They were able to try the new ClassWiz calculators required at A level and enjoyed taking part in group work using our MultiBoards.

Applied Science students at CTK St Mary’s where delighted to hear a talk recently by Laurie and Anesilina from ‘Frontier.’ 

‘Frontier’ are an organisation which supports a great number of environmental conservation efforts. They work all over the world in exotic locations such as Costa Rica, Madagascar, Belize, Fiji, Tenerife and many others and they explained how our students can become involved with their valuable efforts. 

Laurie and Anesilina also explained how ‘Frontier’ go beyond conservation and research. Teaching & Community Development, Journalism & Media and Medical & Healthcare are all a part of Frontier’s global work and it is designed to ensure that their work and the work of their volunteers is ever lasting.

 A number of students expressed a strong interest in becoming involved with ‘Frontier’ and we hope they get the chance to support ‘Frontiers’ valuable mission.

Applied Science students at CTK St Mary’s where delighted to hear a talk recently by Laurie and Anesilina from ‘Frontier.’ 

‘Frontier’ are an organisation which supports a great number of environmental conservation efforts. They work all over the world in exotic locations such as Costa Rica, Madagascar, Belize, Fiji, Tenerife and many others and they explained how our students can become involved with their valuable efforts. 

Laurie and Anesilina also explained how ‘Frontier’ go beyond conservation and research. Teaching & Community Development, Journalism & Media and Medical & Healthcare are all a part of Frontier’s global work and it is designed to ensure that their work and the work of their volunteers is ever lasting.

 A number of students expressed a strong interest in becoming involved with ‘Frontier’ and we hope they get the chance to support ‘Frontiers’ valuable mission.

A number of BTEC Level 3 Business students were selected to attend a Leadership Symposium that took place in Harpenden. During the conference students had the opportunity to discover the latest developments in corporate leadership as well as interview numerous captains of industry. The trip will assist students in their work in the Business Decision making unit.

Urban Synergy’s ‘Tips to the Top’ Role Model seminar is one of the highlights of the academic year at Christ the King. The annual cross-site event, which features panel discussions and speed mentoring sessions, inspires confidence in our students and gives them an opportunity to interact with leading industry professionals.

Discussions of this kind not only broaden student horizons but also provide a valuable insight into the qualities of academic and professional success. The mentoring programmes and inspirational seminars organised by the charity provide support, guidance and encouragement for young people, and motivate them to achieve their best.

This year Christ the King was fortunate enough to welcome the following guest speakers to the panel:

• Andrew Cole, Retired International Footballer
• Oliver Adebayo, Trainee Orthopaedic Surgeon
• Troy Von Scheibner – Magician & TV Personality (CTK alumnus)
• David Olusegun – CEO, Black Diamond Records (CTK alumnus)
• Natalie Scott – Fashion Stylist (CTK alumnus)

The evening opened with an introductory session, in which the panel discussed their personal journeys and outlined the steps they have taken to get to where they are today. This was followed by an insightful Q&A session, in which students addressed personal questions to members of the panel.

Professionals from banking, medicine, technology, fashion, politics, construction, law, teaching and research based professions then took part in a speed mentoring session which comprised a string of five minute talks with small groups of students. We were delighted that among these professional were another three CTK alumni:

• Seni Fawehinmi: New Business Development Manager – Thomson Reuters 
• Jeff Perkins: Executive Director – Storyful 
• Charisma Jones: Solicitor – Lime TV 

CTK students left the event feeling both inspired and motivated about their future potential!

Changes in technology and the labour market mean that students need to be aware of the career opportunities available to them in the future and how to best take advantage of them. To support this, the October half term saw the launch of the fifth annual CTK Fast Track Programme. As in previous years, the Programme involved 50 students from all three CTK sites coming together at CTK: Emmanuel for two days of training.

The morning session on the first day was led by Dr Rupert Evenett (Chair of Governors) who talked to the students about “Developing a professional work ethic.” During the talk Dr Evenett covered topics including the importance of time keeping, personal presentation and the skills needed to work well and succeed in the modern workplace.

During the second part of the first days training we welcomed Seye Olokede, a former student from Christ the King, who spoke about his own experiences and what it takes to be a success. During this session Seye talked about the use of social media in a professional environment and the benefits of networking through LinkedIn.

The first day concluded with Maria O’Regan along with her colleagues from Santander conducting two workshops “Building and presenting a compelling CV” and “Competency based Interviews”. Working in small groups, students had the opportunity to get advice and guidance on their CVs and how they could develop their interview techniques.

The second days training was run by The Unloc Enterprise Academy and focused on alternative career routes for students; specifically on self-employment and entrepreneurship.  

Feedback from students and guests was that the training was hugely beneficial and will have a positive impact on their career aspirations and goals.

On Thursday the whole of St Columba’s Year 11 took the opportunity to attend a Taster Day with us at CTK St Mary’s. The students seized the day: their enthusiasm, awareness and interest made it a joy to work with them. It is pleasing to note that the students and staff of the school were equally impressed with Christ the King, commenting on the outstanding teaching and knowledge of the staff.

The students got to meet some of the teachers who they would be studying under, whilst undertaking a number of tasks and challenges.  This was a very useful day, giving the students a better understanding of the world of post-16, including BTECs and A Level study.

In addition to lessons, and lunch, the St Columba’s  students had the opportunity to research university and career options, meet students from all our A level and BTEC programmes to discuss these courses from a student perspective, quiz a panel of students on the wider life of the college and question the College Directors on how we operate.

On Thursday the whole of St Columba’s Year 11 took the opportunity to attend a Taster Day with us at CTK St Mary’s. The students seized the day: their enthusiasm, awareness and interest made it a joy to work with them. It is pleasing to note that the students and staff of the school were equally impressed with Christ the King, commenting on the outstanding teaching and knowledge of the staff.

The students got to meet some of the teachers who they would be studying under, whilst undertaking a number of tasks and challenges.  This was a very useful day, giving the students a better understanding of the world of post-16, including BTECs and A Level study.

In addition to lessons, and lunch, the St Columba’s  students had the opportunity to research university and career options, meet students from all our A level and BTEC programmes to discuss these courses from a student perspective, quiz a panel of students on the wider life of the college and question the College Directors on how we operate.

To celebrate October Black History Month, a group called Africa Experience were invited by the Chaplaincy team to provide engaging workshops on African drumming and Capoeria (martial art).

The facilitators skilfully invited the young people to participate in a fun display of skills that created a wonderful atmosphere of laughter and excitement that generated a real sense of wellbeing and community. The students commented afterwards how much they received from the experience as it gave them a great boost in their self-confidence. Africa Experience will return for the Christmas community day to share their gifts as they perform and interact with the wider student body.

Ten students from Christ the King: Emmanuel, St. Mary’s and Aquinas attended the ‘Monster Confidence’ Event at Plexal, Queen Elizabeth Park in Stratford.

This event was run by the Stemettes who promote women in STEM (Science, Technology, Maths and Engineering). The students were involved in confidence workshops, mentoring and interview practice. They also met many inspirational women who currently work in STEM. It was an inspiring day for all. 

Annakaye Wilmot, who is studying BTEC Applied Science, said ‘I enjoyed the conference as the whole event gave a great importance of women exploring and gaining jobs within fields that are mainly male dominated.’ 

Ashleigh Powis Frost, a BTEC Applied science student, found the CV and interview practice session particularly interesting.

On Friday 28^th September, Dr Mark Mantey, the Director of the Padre Pio Rehabilitation Centre for Leprosy suffers, in Ghana, came to speak to Business Studies students about his work.

He spoke passionately about his personal experience and history with the Centre that he now directs on behalf of the local community. Historically, Christ the King College through the leadership of the then Chaplain, Fr Doug Bull, raised significant funds to support the building of a ‘Christ the King’ Education Building on the campus.

St Mary’s geography students travelled to Suffolk for a three day field trip as part of their preparations for their summer exams. 

During their time their students showed tremendous curiosity and endeavour in two geographical studies. These included identifying the impacts rural rebranding was having on the local area in Flatford Mill.

On the second day the group travelled to Ipswich to identify and analyse the changes regeneration had on Ipswich since the 1950’s. They showed respect to locals as they considered the ethical implications of their chosen study.

The Geographers had a fantastic time and This experience should give all platform for further success in their studies this year.

Thanks to Mr McAllister, Mrs Rosario and the FSC team for all your help.

CTK students at Emmanuel and St Mary’s were delighted to have Louis Howell, Director of Revolution Hive, talk to them about his career.

Luis explained to students that as someone with interests and experience in marketing, entrepreneurialism, sports and youth programmes, he has had to demonstrate a versatile skill set that has helped him to excel at roles in both the commercial and voluntary sectors. 

Luis also told them about his array of experiences during which he has managed, co-ordinated and delivered both short-term and long-term programmes in Marketing, whilst also demonstrating a flexible and adaptive approach to everything he does.

 He stated “I am willing to give 100% in everything I do and young people need to do likewise to be a success.”

Christ the King Sixth Forms were delighted to have Dame Nicola Brewer, Vice-Provost International, and University College London (UCL), launch our annual External Speaker Programme.  

Over 100 students had the opportunity to listen to Nicola’s inspirational talk about her career as a senior diplomat at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.  Nicola explained to students how she came to be British High Commissioner to South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland from May 2009 to September 2013.

As Vice-Provost (International), Nicola talked about her responsibilities for UCL’s Global Engagement Strategy to achieve fair solutions to global challenges. Nicola also spoke of her work on Women’s Rights and her role as Gender Equality Champion on UCL’s Senior Management Team, something she is extremely passionate about.

Simon Spearman, Principal of CTK: Emmanuel, where the visit took place, said: ‘Dame Nicola Brewer has got our External Speaker Programme off to a brilliant start. She is one of many high-profile visitors from the worlds of academia, politics, and industry who will be coming into our colleges over the next few months.  Our students gain a great deal from hearing these inspirational, high-achieving individuals speak about their own education and career paths.

Along with other Catholic schools and Colleges, CTK Students, Chaplains, the Vice Principal and Chair of Governors represented the College at the Education Commission’s Beginning of the Academic Year Mass in St George’s Cathedral on Tuesday 11^th September.

Archbishop Peter was the main celebrant who spoke about the importance of Catholic Education that provided the opportunity of developing the whole person. Some of the students pictured below with Archbishop Peter were also involved in the Choir that consisted of a range of schools. It was a joyful and uplifting occasion that cemented the sense of being part of a wider family of Catholic schools and Colleges in the Archdiocese of Southwark.

Students and staff at Christ the King Sixth Forms are celebrating another year of excellent examination success at all three sites. Students have progressed onto some of the most prestigious universities in the country.

Students who studied BTEC programmes achieved outstanding grades, with many now planning to study at Russell Group Universities. 

Susmitha gained D*D*D in BTEC Science and will now study Biomedical Science at Kingston University.   Likewise, Natalie Summers also achieved triple Distinction in BTEC Business and has been accepted on the International Football and Business course at Wembley Stadium UCFB.  Callum O’Neill gained triple Distinction in BTEC Sports & Exercise Science and will be off to Liverpool Hope to study Sport and Physical Education.  Abigail Berry is off to Plymouth University to study Adult Nursing after achieving D*D*D* in BTEC Health and Social Care.

Golda Quarcoo will be going to Warwick University to study Biomedical Science after achieving D*D*D* in BTEC Extended Diploma in Applied Science.  Natalie Poku gained D*D*D* in BTEC Extended Diploma in Health & Social Care and will be going to Nottingham University to study Midwifery. Annie Kouadine studied BTEC Extended Diploma in Business and achieved D*D*D. She will be going to De Montfort University to study Accounting and Finance. Mohammed Jakir studied BTEC Extended Diploma in Business and achieved D*D*D. He has been successful in obtaining a Level 4 Apprenticeship in Digital Marketing.

Mebrihit Tsehaye gained D*D*D* in BTEC Engineering and will go on to study Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Coventry.  Likewise Piriyankan Thavaraga gained D*D*D* in BTEC Engineering and will go on to study Civil Engineering at Brunel Engineering.  Fellow BTEC Engineering student Odia Daley gained D*D*D and will be studying Computer Science at Durham University.

Jamila Jones will be studying Criminology and Social Policy at Loughborough University after gaining DDD in BTEC Art and Design.  Sandra Fajmige gained D*DD in BTEC Business and will be studying Business Management and Marketing at Nottingham Trent University. Likewise, Joshua Ogunyei achieved D*DD in BTEC Business and will be studying Accounting and Finance at the University of Kent.  Daniel Chirika achieved D*DD in BTEC Engineering and will be studying Civil Engineering at the University of Hertfordshire.

Rob McAuliffe, Collegiate Principal, said “Once again our BTEC Diploma students have achieved excellent results and we are proud to say that progression to university and employment from the college is extremely strong. The hard work of staff and students is to be celebrated. Our young people are ambassadors for their generation and our best wishes go out to each and every one of them as they start the next phase of their education or employment journey. There are some remarkable individual achievements and successes but there is also a sense of whole college achievement here at Christ the King. As a community we go from strength to strength”.

We are delighted to announce that progressing Christ the King (CTK) students Ebony Haughton; Bossoma  Kouadiane and Emmanuel Idowu have each been awarded scholarships with Metric Capital Partners to support them in their studies at university.

So far, twelve £15,000 scholarships have been awarded to students at CTK by Metric Capital Partners. Metric Capital Partners are a capital fund management company and it is believed to be the first partnership of its kind between a college and a business.

John Sinik, the firm’s managing partner, was introduced to CTK by Seni Fawehinmi, whom he had met through a scheme designed to partner up ethnic minority students with an adult mentor.

When Seni enrolled at CTK, he introduced his mentor to our principal. From this meeting, the Metric Capital scholarships were born.

John was inspired to create the programme after encountering aspirational and high-performing students at the college who, despite wanting to go to university, simply couldn’t afford it. “It’s a crippling experience for many people to come out of university massively in debt,” he says. “Tuition fees are only part of the expense of going to university. There are living expenses that can be overwhelming for people, and ultimately drive their decision not to go.”

Three Metric scholarships are awarded every year – one to a student attending each of the three colleges that make up Christ the King.

The students are selected according to academic performance and financial means-testing, before undergoing a formal interview. And the relationship doesn’t come to an end once the student heads off to university: they are required to update John each term about how well they are performing academically, and what they are spending the money on.

Former collegiate principal Jane Overbury likens John’s approach to the mentoring offered in the TV show Dragons’ Den, explaining that the students receive personal advice and access to a large list of relevant contacts.

“John’s quite clear: it’s not [just] about the living expenses – it’s access to books and resources and materials that some of our students might struggle to have access to without these kind of funds being available,” she says. “John has called for other businesses to take on this kind of role. We would support that because it’s so individual, it’s so personal to students it’s not just about money.”

On Friday 29th June the football team attended the Annual KSFA Presentation dinner held at Gillingham Football Club.

Students enjoyed a meal followed by a formal presentation of the trophies. Each student received a medal and certificate in recognition of their achievements. The night was thoroughly enjoy by all students and staff who attended. Hopefully the team can continue with this success into next season.

As part of the Creative Arts Evening, the lower sixth Drama Students performed extracts from Arthur Miller’s play ‘The Crucible’, based on the Salem witch trials.

The groups performed extracts of the most poignant parts of the play and were dressed in full puritan costume to give it an authentic feel. They performed to family and friends and this has given them the experience of performing to an audience outside of class ready for the Performance exam next year.

Christ the King Sixth Forms were delighted to recently host a ‘Diversity in STEM’ event which was organised by ‘Greeate Careers’ and which was attended by students from across all three sites studying Physics and Engineering.

Cephas Williams and  Deborah Obaseki  of ‘Greeate Careers’ led a panel discussion which included Najwa Jawahar a Senior Structural Engineer at WSP, Anirban Basak a Principal Electrical Engineer at Aecom, Sara Kassam, Head of Sustainability for CIBSE and Diego Padilla Philipps an Associate at WSP.

After the panel discussion the students were divided into smaller groups for speed mentoring with our illustrious guests. The students learnt a great deal form the event and many said that this event had given them the confidence to pursue a career in engineering.

Thanks to ‘Greeate Careers’ and all our guest speakers from the Physics and Engineering students at CTK!

On the Thursday 14^th June, Christ the King students from Emmanuel, Aquinas and St Mary’s, attended a Science conference at St Mary’s site. This cross-site event comprised talks from several speakers from Kent University, Imperial College, Welcome Trust Sanger Institute and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

The presenters inspired the students to pursue a career in Science, sharing their academic and career path and their future professional prospects. The students felt that knowing other people’s path to success and learning about their experiences enlightened them about their own choices and means to achieve their goals.  

On Monday 23^rd April, Chaplaincy students, Francelene and Andreea, along with Deacon Javier, represented CTK at the annual Good Samaritan Mass organised by the Diocesan Education Commission at St George’s Cathedral, Southwark.

The occasion was the opportunity for Catholic School and Colleges to gather and celebrate the important work of Charity fundraising that takes place throughout the academic year. In particular, donations were brought forward for the CRISIS Fund, administered by The Westminster Catholic Children’s Society.

On the Thursday 10^th May, Ascension Day, CTK students from Emmanuel and Aquinas, joined the Chaplaincy team to attend the 10^th Anniversary Memorial Service for Jimmy Mizen. During the service powerful words were offered by friends about the legacy, in particular about the three Good Hope Cafes that have been established with the intention of creating safe spaces for young people to grow up in.  Margaret, Barry, Jimmy’s parents, and Danny Mizen, his older brother (pictured with group), reflected on the ten-year journey since Jimmy’s death and spoke positively about plans for the next 10 years. The couple appealed for young people and communities to come together to stop violence, particularly in London.

Archbishop Peter Smith, who led the service, spoke of the need to assure young people that they are valuable and precious in God’s eyes and encouraged all gathered to think of how we can show each other love, forgiveness and compassion. The students were profoundly impacted by the experience of the occasion. CTK student Georgina, said: “The memorial service for Jimmy was beautiful, insightful and showed the bravery and pure determination of the Mizen family to create peace and forgiveness amongst the youth. The service not only captured the life and true beauty of Jimmy, but despite the tragic circumstances, it also captured what he has inspired and how his life is lived through his family, and how the charity set up in his honour  has and will continue to drive change.  I was honoured to be present at the memorial.”

The Careers Conference at Christ the King Sixth Form continues to go from strength to strength. The cross-site event comprises a variety of university and career based talks as well as a large-scale exhibition. The day provides a fantastic opportunity for our Level 3 students to start thinking about their future and to explore their options. As in previous years, a separate Level 1 & 2 Careers Conference was held at CTK: Aquinas which offered specific support to students studying a BTEC Level 1 or 2 course.

Students prepare for the Conference by pre-booking their places for the talks they wish to attend and individual timetables are created which include a visit to the exhibition, thus ensuring their time spent at the Conference is focussed and productive.

Over 80 external organisations supported the Conference by either exhibiting or providing speakers for the talks.  Many of the participants were returning, having attended the event in previous years.  The programme of talks included sessions on a wide range of careers from Medicine and the NHS to entrepreneurship, journalism, engineering, banking and many more.

The final day of every term is a Community Day, a day for setting aside the stress and work of the year and a time for reflection and having fun as a College community. The end of this Easter term was no different, with numerous charity initiatives combined with the end of term fun.

For Sport Relief, a dress down day and Easter egg raffle were put together. More Easter eggs were donated to the Demelza Hospice (A charity that provides care for sick children in South London). Pictures below include Deacon Javier Elderfield, Co-ordinating Chaplain with the Easter boxes ready for delivery, and Royann Whyte, the President of the Student Executive, with staff from Demelza hospice.

As well as various activities and challenges taking place in tutor groups, there was also a time built-in for reflection and thought. The 10:10 theatre company showed a film and facilitated a discussion on relationships and communication entitled “Babies”.

Overall, it was a thoroughly well rounded day of fun and engagement, concluding a successful Easter term.

At this college, we are blessed to have a Gospel Choir on all three sites, but they do not often get the chance to perform together. So it was an ambitious idea when Natalie, the Gospel Choir leader, with the support of the Chaplaincy team, proposed bringing them all together, as well as another ten schools from across the diocese, to perform a Gospel Choir Spectacular at Southwark Cathedral.

With over 300 young people, present and performing to a packed out crowd, the performance did not disappoint. Each of the individual choirs performed two songs, with some exceptional soloists taking centre stage, with the concert topped and tailed with all the schools performing together – a truly awe inspiring sound that filled the cathedral and reverberated down to those who were witnessing this moment. It was pleasing to see our college students filled with such passion and giving their all on what was a beautiful evening.

CTK was delighted to launch a new initiative with Capgemini (a global leader in consulting, technology and outsourcing services) and Urban Synergy that will see over twenty CTK students go to a number of workshops aimed at helping them develop
life skills and introducing them to degree apprenticeship opportunities. At the end of the initiative Capgemni hope to offer a number of CTK students a degree apprenticeship.

A degree apprenticeship combines full-time paid work and part-time university to offer candidates the opportunity to gain a full Bachelors or Master’s degree while partaking in practical, on-the-job training. They were launched by the government in 2015, and are studied over the course of one to six years. There are many benefits to degree apprenticeships. As well as holding employment status and receiving a wage throughout the course, an apprentice’s tuition fees and training costs are settled between their education institution and employer.

CTK was pleased to welcome Magdalene Adenaike, award winning entrepreneur CEO, Founder of Music Relief and a member of the FRSA (Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts) for a talk to its students.

Magdalene shared with students her experiences of being a teenage mum who faced redundancy and homelessness but never gave up on her dream of being successful in the field of music. Having left school she decided not to take the Accounting & Statistics course her parents wanted her to. She eventually worked for Barclays for four years, until she was made redundant.  Supported by her partner she studied for a degree at UEL in Music Industry Management whilst also volunteering as a vocal coach in the local community.

It was at this stage of her life that Magdalene fully realised the healing power of music, not just on her, but on the community: bringing people together and helping them share their issues. This is when she was inspired to found Music Relief in 2011, inspiring young people to grow their business through their talents, transforming their lives through the process and breaking down barriers that stops them from progressing. 

Magdalene is also author of the book “From Shame to Strength. Music Saved Me” in which she describes the influence of music in her life. Magdalene advised the students: “In growing up, life has its way of throwing challenges at you. Its your job to deal with those challenges .”

A cohort of CTK Business students recently enjoyed a talk by Rory O’Sullivan of Landers & Associates (chartered building surveyors). 

His talk, “What’s hot and what’s not” was based on his experience as an employer. He engaged with the students involving them in a hands-on session in which they practised a number of interview techniques that will help them when they apply for jobs in the future. Students enjoyed the session and received some very useful top tips on interview etiquette.

Rory has worked with CTK for a number of years, supporting students in understanding the world of work and he is also a member of the College’s Partnership Advisory Board.

Christ the King were pleased to recently run a daylong event with Unloc Enterprise Academy which was held for students wanting to consider alternative progression routes.

The Unloc Enterprise Academy programme was designed to help Colleges to inspire, motivate and develop the mind-sets of their students. The day helped to develop students skills in setting up and testing their own business and project ideas as well as exploring future apprenticeship opportunities.

Unloc started in 2011 as a small Portsmouth community project run by Hayden Taylor and Ben Dowling who were young people that wanted to see young people getting more engaged with local decision makers. Their aim is to help create a highly capable, actively engaged and civic minded generation of young people.

CTK was delighted to launch a new initiative with Capgemini (a global leader in consulting, technology and outsourcing services) and Urban Synergy that will see over twenty CTK students go to a number of workshops aimed at helping them develop
life skills and introducing them to degree apprenticeship opportunities. At the end of the initiative Capgemni hope to offer a number of CTK students a degree apprenticeship.

A degree apprenticeship combines full-time paid work and part-time university to offer candidates the opportunity to gain a full Bachelors or Master’s degree while partaking in practical, on-the-job training. They were launched by the government in 2015, and are studied over the course of one to six years. There are many benefits to degree apprenticeships. As well as holding employment status and receiving a wage throughout the course, an apprentice’s tuition fees and training costs are settled between their education institution and employer.