Saturday 1 May 2010

Moving on

There has been a lot of thought about moving on in our household this year, with Mark looking towards university, my younger son, Ben, looking towards 6th form and me considering the level of comittment I have remaining towards my present job; and this week has seen a couple of significant steps towards decision making.

On Wednesday evening, Ben and I finally went for his interview here...


(Best viewed large)

...at the Joseph Wright 6th form Centre.

Joseph Wright is part of Derby College which evolved into its present form after the merger of two colleges of FE within the city (Wilmorton and Mackworth) and an agricultural college a few miles north of Derby (Broomfield Hall). Since then, the Wilmorton site has been demolished and two new sites have been constructed, one of which is the Joseph Wright Sixth Form Centre; located in the heart of the city, just beyond the far end of Sadler Gate and close by the cathedral. In fact, this photograph was taken from the tower of Derby Cathedral back in September 2009, when Mark and I abseiled  down it in support of the Derby Mountain Rescue Team.

Joseph Wright is a superb centre. Opened in 2005, it still feels brand new. The main entrance opens onto a huge central atrium which houses a large reception area (where the interviews were conducted) and a canteen. The atrium extends up through all three stories of the building and classrooms lead off the balconies which run around three sides on all levels. To the right of the atrium is a library and resource base housing hundreds of books and an impressive array of computers. The whole building is light and airy, with modern facilities and a great feel. It has already been extended twice and can cater for around 1500 students, mostly school leavers, but including a smattering of more mature learners.

I'm delighted to say that Ben was offered a place on the A level courses he wants. He was brilliant in the interview and now only needs to hit the grades in his remaining GCSEs to be assured of his 6th form opportunity; following in the footsteps of big brother, who is just about to complete his A level studies there and has loved every minute of the experience. :)

wiki.verkata.com/en/wiki/Derby_College

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