The last few years have been very strange times in education and the impact of the pandemic and everything that has happened since has been unprecedented. No group of students has felt this more than our Class of 2023 and yet… you’ve achieved so much!
Your results will be sent to your college email at 8am on Thursday 17 August. You need to make sure that you have access to your college email. Please enter an introduction for your news story here.
The below letter was sent to students, parents and carers on Friday 30 June.
Dear Students, Parents & Carers,
I would like to let you know the arrangements for Wednesday 5th July when some teachers at Connell will be taking industrial action or are affected by industrial action taking place at schools where their own children attend. Friday 7th July will be a Wellbeing Day and all students are encouraged to attend. This will not be impacted by industrial action.
Any student with a lesson on Wednesday will receive an email confirming arrangements for their lessons on Tuesday at 4:30pm.
We will be unable to confirm arrangements in a few cases – these students will receive a further message on Wednesday morning just after 8:30am when we will know for sure which teachers are taking industrial action/are impacted by decisions at the schools their children attend. We will send this by text and email and will also send a copy to parents/carers
Please note that any sessions with CITC coaching staff will not be impacted by industrial action and will take place as normal.
Any student whose lesson does not take place will be awarded an attendance mark of X – not required to attend College for that lesson. Their attendance will not be impacted for that lesson.
Students who normally have a full day of lessons may find that their morning or afternoon lesson is cancelled while the other goes ahead. They must still attend the lesson that is going ahead – failure to do so will be treated as an unauthorised absence.
I would like to remind you that this is a national day of industrial action, in relation to a dispute with the Government about pay, which you will also have seen in other sectors. To be clear, this is not a dispute about the operation of our College.
I would like to remind all students to respect the personal and professional choices their teachers make with regards to this period of industrial action.
Where lessons cannot take place, students will be directed to work independently.
Some teachers may set specific work, others will expect students to choose how best to study on this day.
If a student is not sure what to do during a cancelled lesson, revisiting previous lessons or assessments is always beneficial. Alternatively, students could use the time for research on university courses, apprenticeships, work experience or volunteering opportunities (see the Friday Notes for the latest information)
The College will be fully open to students who wish to come to College to study. The refectory, free college meals and all our usual pastoral support will be fully operational.
If you have an urgent question or concern, please contact us by email to info@connell.ac.uk.
Best wishes
Emma Soper
Principal
We’re hosting an event to celebrate our 10th anniversary.
Come and join us as we host a party to celebrate reaching this milestone.
We’re inviting alumni, former/existing staff and other key stakeholders. You’ll be able to mingle with former students and staff (and you can bring a plus one if you’d like).
There’ll be speeches, presentations, videos, snacks, drinks, music and more…
When: Thursday 14 September 2023, 5-7pm
Where: Connell Co-op College, 301 Alan Turing Way, Manchester M11 3BS
RSVP to let us know if you can make it.
Do you have any ideas for the event? Or any photos, videos or other memories from your time at Connell that you’d like to share? Share them with us by email (comms@connell.ac.uk).
Today we had the great privilege of being visited by Lioness and Connell alumnus Jess Park (above, right), who spoke to our Sport students about her career path.
Jess studied BTEC Sport & Exercise Science at Connell, alongside playing for MCFC. She achieved D*D*D*, which is the top grade, as well as attending training and being a committed footballer. She said that she always knew she needed to focus at college and ensure she completed all her assignments to achieve the best grades possible. Football is not a guaranteed career, and she explained how important it was for her to have a back-up plan for the future. With her qualification, she will be able to go to university if she wants to, and study to be a nutritionist or go into sport rehab.
Jess told us about her football journey from playing initially at Hull as a child and teenager, to moving to MCFC when she was only 16. She had the opportunity to apply for a scholarship to the USA to play football there after she finished college, but ultimately she decided to stay at MCFC. Although she was on the first team, she was not regularly playing in matches and felt she was unable to improve. She was given the chance to go on loan to Everton, where she is currently playing, and will go back to MCFC at the end of the season. Since being at Everton, her performances have improved, and has now been called to represent England as a Lioness!
Jess spoke about all the careers in sport that are available, and how essential they are in supporting professional athletes. She said that the best football clubs have the best staff – including nutritionists, coaches and recovery staff. Sport Scientists work with athletes every day as coaches and trainers in the gym. Jess also works with a Sport Psychologist to ensure her mental health stays strong and she is able to stay positive and focus on her performance.
Jess told us about playing in the Everton/Liverpool derby in March this year, and how amazing the environment was. She said the stadium was packed and there was such positive energy from the fans of both teams, with both sides congratulating her when she scored.
Jess finished by giving some important advice to the students about social media. As a footballer, she often receives negative comments and trolling. She said that she doesn’t even read them, because other people’s opinions don’t matter. The most important thing is that you believe in yourself and you know you are doing the right thing.
One of our Y13 students, Josh, has received and accepted an offer to study the highly competitive BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science course at UCLAN.
This is a fantastic achievement as there were over 6,500 applicants for a course that holds around 50 places.
Josh explains the application process:
“I doubted myself at first, I thought I’d be at a disadvantage as some people already had degrees, and others were much older than me. I was the youngest in my interview group, so I thought that may count against me.
“We all had to complete assessments, and out of the 12 people in my group, only six of us got offered a full interview after it. It was scary, as they took you into a room and told you one by one what was going to happen next.
“I was the last to be interviewed. This was the part that made me most nervous, as people before me were coming out of the interview room full of nerves, not knowing If they did well or not. Every interview was different.
“I was interviewed by the person who runs the course alongside a service-user, who had used the service for 20+ years. I was asked lots of questions to test my knowledge of the service, its structure and how it put its patients first in all aspects of care. I was asked questions about my personality, background and why I wanted to become a paramedic.
“It took 16 weeks for them to get back to me and offer me a place. I was overwhelmed as I know how high demand the course is, with only 50 places for thousands of applicants. By far one of my greatest achievements in my life. I doubted myself, but pushed through until the end and was rewarded with a place.”
Great job Josh!
The below letter was communicated to students, parents and carers on Friday 10 March.
Dear Students, Parents & Carers,
Following the information that I provided last month I would like to let you know the arrangements for Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th March when some teachers at Connell will be taking industrial action or are affected by industrial action taking place at schools where their own children attend.
Any student with a lesson on Wednesday will receive an email confirming arrangements for their lessons on Tuesday at 4:30pm. Any student with a lesson on Thursday will receive an email confirming arrangements for their lessons on Wednesday at 4:30pm.Copies will also be sent to parents and carers.
We will be unable to confirm arrangements in a few cases – these students will receive a further message on Wednesday/Thursday morning just after 8:30am when we will know for sure which teachers are taking industrial action/are impacted by decisions at the schools their children attend. We will send this by text and email and will also send a copy to parents/carers
Please note that any sessions with CITC coaching staff will not be impacted by industrial action and will take place as normal.
Any student whose lesson does not take place will be awarded an attendance mark of X – not required to attend College for that lesson. Their attendance will not be impacted for that lesson.
Students who normally have a full day of lessons may find that their morning or afternoon lesson is cancelled while the other goes ahead. They must still attend the lesson that is going ahead – failure to do so will be treated as an unauthorised absence.
I would like to remind you that this is a national day of industrial action, in relation to a dispute with the Government about pay, which you will also have seen in other sectors. To be clear, this is not a dispute about the operation of our College.
I would like to remind all students to respect the personal and professional choices their teachers make with regards to this period of industrial action.
Where lessons cannot take place, students will be directed to work independently.
Some teachers may set specific work, others will expect students to choose how best to study on this day.
If a student is not sure what to do during a cancelled lesson, revisiting previous lessons or assessments is always beneficial. Alternatively, students could use the time for research on university courses, apprenticeships, work experience or volunteering opportunities (see the Friday Notes for the latest information)
The College will be fully open to students who wish to come to College to study. The refectory, free college meals and all our usual pastoral support will be fully operational.
If you have an urgent question or concern, please contact us by email to info@connell.ac.uk
Emma Soper
Principal
The below letter was communicated to students, parents and carers on Friday 24 February.
Dear Students, Parents & Carers
Following the information that I provided last month I would like to let you know the arrangements for Tuesday 28 February when some teachers at Connell will be taking industrial action or are affected by industrial action taking place at schools where their own children attend.
Any student with a lesson on Tuesday will receive an email confirming arrangements for their lessons on Monday at 4.30pm. Copies will also be sent to parents and carers.
We will be unable to confirm arrangements in a few cases – these students will receive a further message on Tuesday morning just after 8.30am when we will know for sure which teachers are taking industrial action/are impacted by decisions at the schools their children attend. We will send this by text and email and will also send a copy to parents/carers.
Please note that any sessions with CITC coaching staff will not be impacted by industrial action and will take place as normal.
Any student whose lesson does not take place will be awarded an attendance mark of X – not required to attend College for that lesson. Their attendance will not be impacted for that lesson.
Students who normally have a full day of lessons may find that their morning or afternoon lesson is cancelled while the other goes ahead. They must still attend the lesson that is going ahead – failure to do so will be treated as an unauthorised absence.
I would like to remind you that this is a national day of industrial action, in relation to a dispute with the Government about pay, which you will also have seen in other sectors. To be clear, this is not a dispute about the operation of our College.
I would like to remind all students to respect the personal and professional choices their teachers make with regards to this period of industrial action.
Where lessons cannot take place, students will be directed to work independently.
Some teachers may set specific work, others will expect students to choose how best to study on this day.
If a student is not sure what to do during a cancelled lesson, revisiting previous lessons or assessments is always beneficial. Alternatively, students could use the time for research on university courses, apprenticeships, work experience or volunteering opportunities (see the Friday Notes for the latest information)
The College will be fully open to students who wish to come to College to study. The refectory, free college meals and all our usual pastoral support will be fully operational.
If you have an urgent question or concern, please contact us by email to info@connell.ac.uk.
The below letter was communicated to students, parents and carers on Monday 30 January 2023.
Dear Students, Parents & Carers,
Following the information that I provided last week, I would like to let you know the arrangements for Wednesday 1 February when some teachers will be taking industrial action (or are affected by industrial action taking place at schools where their own children attend).
Any student with a Wednesday lesson will receive an email on Tuesday at 4.30pm confirming their arrangements. Copies will also be sent to parents and carers.
We will be unable to confirm arrangements in a few cases – these students will receive a further message on Wednesday morning just after 8.30am when we will know for sure which teachers are taking industrial action/are impacted by decisions at the schools their children attend. We will send this by text and email and we will also send a copy to parents/carers.
Please note that any sessions with CITC coaching staff will not be impacted by industrial action and will take place as normal.
Any student whose lesson does not take place will be awarded an attendance mark of X – not required to attend college for that lesson. Their attendance will not be impacted for that lesson.
Students who normally have a full day of lessons may find that their morning or afternoon lesson is cancelled while the other goes ahead. They must still attend the lesson that is going ahead – failure to do so will be treated as an unauthorised absence.
I would like to remind you that this is a national day of industrial action, in relation to a dispute with the Government about pay, which also includes other sectors. To be clear, this is not a dispute about the operation of our college.
I would ask all students to respect their teachers’ personal and professional choices in regards to this period of industrial action.
Where lessons cannot take place, students will be directed to work independently.
Some teachers may set specific work, others will expect students to choose how best to study on this day.
If a student is not sure what to do during a cancelled lesson, revisiting previous lessons or assessments is always beneficial. Alternatively, students could use the time to research university courses, apprenticeships, work experience or volunteering opportunities (see the Friday Notes for the latest information).
College will be fully open to students who wish to come into study. The refectory, free college meals and all our usual pastoral support will be fully operational.
The next planned date for industrial action is Tuesday 28 February. I will be in touch again nearer the time to confirm arrangements for this date but I expect them to be very similar to those in place for this week.
If you have an urgent question or concern, please contact us by email to info@connell.ac.uk.
We’ll be celebrating throughout the year by sharing memories and pictures from the past 10 years. We’ll also be profiling 10 feeder schools and 10 partners.
Make sure you follow our social media channels to see these updates (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn – #10YearsOfConnell).
We’re planning a celebratory event for later in the year. More details coming soon…
We want former students and staff to share their photos, videos and memories with us. Send them to comms@connell.ac.uk.
Connell Co-op College will be working in partnership with Manchester Cycling Academy to offer budding cyclists the chance to train and study.
The cycling academy for aspirational bike riders aged 16-19 years is based on the Etihad Campus in East Manchester, less than four minutes away from the National Cycling Centre.
Students will be able to study the three A Level equivalent BTEC Sports Coaching and Development, BTEC Sport and Exercise Science or a choice of A Levels/other BTEC qualifications.
Connell Co-op College is part of Co-op Academies Trust and is the number one sixth form college in Manchester for A Level and BTEC Level 3 Progress.
The college has strong links with Manchester City FC through its CITC Football Programme. Staff are used to accommodating elite athletes and boast some notable graduates including current Team GB Track Cycling star Sophie Capewell; Para-Cycling Olympic gold medallist, Sophie Thornhill; Manchester City and England Women’s goalkeeper, Ellie Roebuck and current Manchester City and England men’s star Phil Foden.
Emma Soper, Principal of Connell Co-op College, welcomed the announcement and said: “We are very much looking forward to working with Manchester Cycling Academy and welcoming future Olympians to Connell Co-op College.
“Adding cycling compliments our existing sports offer which includes the City in the Community Football Pathway and the Sport in the Community Pathway which is run in partnership with GLL. Manchester Cycling Academy students will also benefit from the partnership we have with our nearest neighbour – the Manchester Institute of Sport delivered by Nuffield Health.
“The programme will provide a unique opportunity for cycling students to benefit from high quality teaching, learning environments and great qualifications. When students complete the course they will stand out from the crowd and leave with a unique skill set.”
Stefan Hopewell, Director of Manchester Cycling Academy also welcomed the announcement and said: “Connell Co-op College is a perfect fit for Manchester Cycling Academy. It fits our vision of offering A levels and BTECs and the close proximity to world class cycling facilities will allow the riders to transfer between their academic studies and training sessions without interruption.
“Not only is it possible to transfer quickly from the college to the velodrome in minutes to facilitate cycling training sessions, the college has an excellent reputation for gaining academic results and for progression to higher education and training.
“Adding A Levels to our offer means that those riders who want to take the traditional education route can still join the cycling programme and continue with their academic studies, whilst offering the three A Level equivalent BTEC means that those who want to choose a more practical and vocational qualification can also do so.”
Places will be limited in 2023 and competition is expected to be fierce, so early application is encouraged. Apply now to be invited to an interview evening on Wednesday 25 January 2023. The deadline for applications is Tuesday 31 January 2023.
We are saddened to hear the news of the passing of Her Majesty, The Queen Elizabeth II. Our thoughts are with the Royal Family, and we join the nation in reflecting on her historic reign.
In line with guidance, we will rightly respect this period of national mourning.
All of our academies remain open.
From Dr Chris Tomlinson CEO, and all the colleagues at Co-op Academies Trust
