May 2022 Newsletter
As I write this message we are approaching the end of a jam-packed week.
Lots of students have been busy completing exams and assignments. They should be congratulated on the positive way they have gone about things. We all remember the mixture of feelings when faced with these challenges. Whilst it can be nerve-wracking, our Bucks UTC students continue to cope admirably. We hope that the half-term revision goes well and look forward to the final push with you next term.
We have also had students completing careers guidance meetings, out on site visits, completing practical work and other activities – this variety is typical of a week at Bucks UTC. Importantly, we have marked the Queen’s Jubilee this week. I am very grateful to staff who have led the events and to student for taking part so willingly. Highlights have been the Great British Quiz, Scones with jam and cream and the eclectic mix of British music played during break and lunch. It has been a great opportunity to come together as a school and enjoy exploring what it means to be British.
I hope all staff, students and their families have a fantastic break over half-term. We look forward to seeing you on Monday 6th June.
Take care,
Nick Lamb,
Principal
Key Term Dates
We now have a new calendar page for parents and students to use! This calendar will be updated regularly with new term dates, and currently goes up to January 2023. We recommend that you bookmark/save this webpage. Click here to view the calendar.
A summary of the upcoming term dates:
| Friday 27th May 2022 | UTC closes for Half Term at 3pm |
| Monday 6th June 2022 | Students return to UTC |
| Wednesday 20th July 2022 | Students finish for summer holidays |
| Thursday 18th August 2022 | KS5 / Level 3 BTEC Results Day |
| Thursday 25th August 2022 | GCSE / Level 2 BTEC Results Day |
Thursday 23rd June 2022 is the last Examination date (Please note students should be available up to and including the JCQ contingency date of Wednesday 29th June 2022)
Ofsted
There were many positive aspects of Bucks UTC highlighted during our recent Ofsted visit and there continue to be several areas for improvement. Read the full report and a letter from Nick, here.
Open Events
Our final open event for this academic year was a great success! Along with the sunshine, we had lots of interest from parents and potential students. We are grateful for the support from some of our employer partners, including: Alcom IT, VSK Solutions, BMW Group, Home Instead, Cloudy IT, Taylor Wimpey and The Fremantle Trust.
Also, a huge thanks for the student ambassadors that attended this event, setting a professional first impression for our visitors. Thank you to Henry, Lucas, Tabasum, Will, Bailey (Year 10), Harry, Samuel, Abid and Georgie (Year 12) and Ben (Year 13).
See other open events and events for parents on our Upcoming Events page.
Computing Update
As we are drawing closer to celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, we are also drawing closer to the end of the course for our Year 11 and 13 students. It can be a nerve-racking and challenging time for some, but there are plenty of opportunities to look out for – once the final exams are completed. We would like to send our best wishes to all the candidates.
We have had several exciting things happening in the Computing Department like a recent visit from some of our Employer links. VSK Solutions came in and talked to our students about how technology is used to provide customised test solutions to driverless car modules. How cool! Parents with prospective year 10 students attended a vibrant opening-evening event on Thursday and had a chance to visit our wide-range of tech facilities including a chance to meet our new tech addition – a VR set.
As the new Head of Computing, I have had the pleasure of settling in and working with a team of friendly staff and students with such bright perspectives. There is still plenty to do, but there is a sense of renewed energy and cannot wait to seize all the wonderful opportunities coming ahead.
Daniel Lubinga,
Head of Computing
Employer Engagement & Careers
The beginning of the Summer term has seen lots happening behind the scenes in planning for improvements in delivering Employer Engagement with more obvious learning impact for the students. There is now an Employer Representative Group including support from Cisco, Trellix, Cloudy IT, Home Instead, BNU and BMW Group and Taylor Wimpey. One of the main focus points is having students reflect on their engagements, with an online e-portfolio. The system we have decided upon is Unifrog and should be up and running by September.
Morgan Sindall continues to support Bucks UTC. This half term Year 10 Building Studies visited the local Kingsbrook site to see first hand the Health and Safety on site.
Rob Butler referred to Bucks UTC on Wednesday 18th May when he had been invited to Parliament to speak at the Queen’s Speech debate about Education. Bucks UTC is a life long learning technical education and certainly a strong direction for young people to go in. Read the full speech here.
Jan Lloyd,
Marketing, Careers Lead and Student Recruitment
