Welcome to FE Sussex

We are an innovative partnership of Sussex colleges and their key partners whose aim is to further improve the experience of learners in the Sussex further education colleges through direct, effective action and ensuring maximum impact.

Whether you're an FE Sussex member, employer or teacher, the FE Sussex website provides a wealth of information on what's available in terms of quality improvement, services available to you and learning and skills within Sussex. Jump to the page you desire by using the quick links on the left.

LATEST NEWS

An exciting new wine course at Plumpton College - August 2010

Plumpton College, in assocation with the Royal Agricultural College, has launched a vibrant new course entitled, "The Wine Trade in Britain".

This full-time programme, which starts end of September 2010, will introduce students to the dynamic UK wine market. It will focus on the principles of marketing, grapegrowing and winemaking. An exciting feature of this new course will include the opportunity  to study the wines of the world with the option to gain the prestigious WSET Advanced certificate.

Students will study at Plumpton's Wine Centre near Brighton for four months, alongside the college's full-time students. The College is recognised as a centre of international excellence for wine training.

The course is intended to appeal particulary to those from wine-producing countries outside Britain seeking to gain distribution in the highly competitive UK wine market. It will also appeal to those wishing to enter the UK wine trade. Substantial bursaries are available for applicants from the European Union who are sponsored by their employers. Chris Foss, Head of Plumpton College Wine Department announces, "Wine producers find it very difficult to enter the UK market. Plumpton College is in an unrivalled position to help such growers understand the UK scene and prepare realistic marketing strategies. We are delighted to be working closely with the Royal Agricultural College, combining our reputations underlines the quality and value that this Certificate will offer."

For futher information and to register for the course please contact Matthew Hudson, email: matthew.hudson@plumpton.ac.uk, www.plumpton.ac.uk or click here.

Sussex Downs Exams Team - July 2010

The Exam Teams at Sussex Downs College responsible for ensuring the effective administration of all the processes associated with examinations and assessments which is now a 'whole year' process with 800 different exams taking place involving some 11000 student entries. Yet it is still the GCSE and A level results in August that thrust the teams to the forefront of College activity.

The teams in Lewes and Eastbourne liase with a wide range of organisations and individuals regarding exam arrangements. The issues they cover include accommodation and special requirements, invigilation (including training), moderation, and publication of results together with cascading all exam related information to staff and students.

Fi Taylor, Cross College Examinations Manager said: "We arrane for entries, registrations and results to be processed in accordance with the regulations and requirements of all the awarding bodies that we work with, an amazing 33 different exam boards.

"When is comes to the actual exams we ensure that adequate materials are available for examination sessions and that all examinations are conducted in a proper way as required by the awarding bodies. Security of the papers is always a key issue and a topic we take very seriously.

" On a day to day basis we field numerous queries from students, parents, tutors and external clients including employers and other schools and colleges. These queries include issues surrounding lost certificates, appeals, statements of results and statement of entry.

"I am very proud of my team, they are always able to step up a gear to cope with periods of intense pressure and meet various deadlines which are set. Overall this has been a challenging year. The severe weather at the beginning of the year threatened many exams, but to their credit the teams got through the snow to minimize the number of exam cancellations.

"We have a dedicated area on the College website supplying information on contact details at both the Lewes and Eastbourne sites, together with dates and deadlines, timetables and various forms.

"And finally there are a few things we don't do, although it is oftern assumed we do, for example we do not invigilate exams, we do not write the papers, we do not mark the papers and we do not se tthe exam dates"

Final preparations are now being made for A level results day on Thursday August 19th with GCSE results released on Tuesday 24th August.

FE Sussex Directors' meeting - June 2010

All Sussex Principals met to discuss the joint quality improvement plan for Sussex colleges and the core mission of moving all colleges to Outstanding by July 2011.

From left to right: Des Lambert (Plumpton College), Jackie Johnston (Collyers), Phil Corrigan (Worthing College), Sue Dare (Northbrook College, Sussex), John Blake (Sussex Downs College), Chris Thomson (BHASVIC), Richard Parker (Chichester College), Sue Middlehurst (Sussex Coast College), Phil Harland (Varndean College), Russell Strutt (Central Sussex College), Karen Hucker (Bexhill College), Shelagh Legrave (Chichester College), Phil Frier (City College Brighton and Hove) and Tim Strickland (CEO, FE Sussex).