Festival of Books, Ideas and Debate

It’s day one of the festival of ‘Books, Ideas and Debate’ at HMP Exeter! An exciting programme for learners across the next 3 weeks!

scrabble tiles spelling success

Holly shortlisted for UK Skills Competition Diversity Champion award for promoting inclusivity

Weston College’s Holly has been shortlisted for the UK Skills Competition Diversity Champion award, sponsored by the Education & Training Foundation, for her outstanding work in promoting inclusivity in education at HMP Portland. As an inclusive practitioner, Holly challenges and changes the culture by recognising the diversity of all learners and creating a space where all learners can engage and …

Mural

Imprisoned Suffragette Honoured with a Blue Plaque

Three prominent Bristol City Councillors, Helen Holland, Nicola Beech and Asher Craig, will unveil a Blue Plaque at HMP Bristol (Horfield Prison) on Friday 1st October. The plaque is for Theresa Garnett, a Suffragette who was imprisoned in 1909 in Horfield after she attacked Winston Churchill with a whip at Temple Meads Station. The plaque is connected to an education …

Hope from the Yards Art Exhibition

Friday 26th March – 21st May HMP Bristol is pleased to announce its forthcoming art exhibition, Hope from the Yards, which takes place in the exercise yards of HMP Bristol from Friday 26th March, inspired by the theme of HOPE. HMP Bristol, is a Category B men’s prison, located in the Horfield area of Bristol. Weston College delivers a wide …

Investors in People

Weston College retains its Investor in People accreditation – with new award of Platinum Status

Investors in People is delighted to award Weston College, a Weston-super-Mare based FE and HE college, the “We invest in people” Platinum accreditation. Platinum is the highest level of accreditation possible to achieve and is a category that only 2% of organisations secure nationwide. Building on its existing Gold accreditation and Champion status, the College received Platinum as a result …

Tutor from Weston College at HMP Stanford Hill wins Butler Trust Award

Nikki is an Education Tutor and Assessor at HMP Standford Hill, a Category D open prison for adult males. She receives an Award for her outstanding contribution to using the arts, often with prisoners experiencing additional difficulties. This is reflected in remarkable successes at both the Koestler Awards and at Margate’s internationally renowned Turner Contemporary gallery. Nikki’s initial nominator, Butler …

HMP Guys Marsh wins inter-prisons maths challenge AGAIN!

HMP Guys Marsh, one of 19 prisons in which Weston College delivers education services, has won an inter-prisons maths competition – for the second year running. The ‘3 out of 5’ challenge encourages people to develop and apply their maths skills outside the classroom – at work, in the gym, garden or library, for instance. Learners undertake the ‘challenge’ by …

Award for manager of highly rated coffee shop at HMP Leyhill

The manager of a highly rated coffee shop and café based in the grounds of HMP Leyhill Prison has won a surprise award. Kaye Thomas received the honour from the High Sheriff of Gloucestershire in recognition of her work with the prison ‘residents’ and the quality service the café provides. Leyhill Grounds Coffee Shop is open to the public and …

College staff help organise prison literary festival

Weston College staff have helped ‘learners’ of a Wiltshire prison organise a unique literary festival. ‘Penned Up’ is a two-week event being held at Erlestoke Prison – one of 19 prisons in which the College delivers education services. Ex-government minister Jonathan Aitken and award-winning TV writer Jimmy McGovern are among 25 speakers at the event, which takes place from the …

College wins £17m prison learning contract

Weston College will provide education in 19 prisons across England after successfully bidding for three major contracts. Since 2012, the College has operated in nine prisons across the South West. Following a revamp of the procurement process, it retained contracts for the South West, and was also selected as the provider for the South East region. The three contracts, worth …