Exeter City Football Club have kitted up future stars at Exeter College to celebrate 15 years of partnership and Futsal becoming part of the college Sports Academy offer.

The long-established partnership with the college has gone from strength to strength in recent years and now sees 45 students on the men's academy, 23 on the women's academy, and 50 students combined taking part in the level two and level three futsal academy.

The new playing kit, provided by Exeter City and supported by Joma, allows for both the men's and ladies’ teams to proudly display the partnership during training and at matches, and acts as a reminder to the students of what they aspire to be.

Futsal, in its fifth year and now part of the College’s sports academy, is a BTEC sport programme offered by Exeter City’s charity Football in the Community. It provides a unique opportunity for 16 to 19 year olds to complete either a level two or three BTEC qualification, whilst competing in a Professional Futsal League against other Football League clubs.

Throughout the programme students earn qualifications that will help them gain employment in the sport and leisure industry, as well as training and competing in a professional futsal environment for one of the five Exeter City teams. Students benefit from the facilities at Exeter College, the University of Exeter as well as the external learning centres based at St James Park.

The partnership between Exeter City and Exeter College combines on-field training and matches with academic study. As well as having a performance pathway through the club’s apprenticeship scheme, the sports academy gives aspiring footballers the opportunities to develop their talents and focus on full-time academic or vocational courses should they not quite break through as a professional player.

Throughout the last four years Exeter City has provided the college with a member of its coaching staff to work alongside the colleges coaches to deliver the Men's Academy sessions and Goalkeeper specific coaching. Currently this is Aaron Pugh who is an ex-student and Football Academy member.

By offering quality coaching the men's team are now playing in category one of AOC leagues; the highest level available which gives a real credibility and a better level of competition, improving performance and experience in the long run. This association not only provides the opportunity to progress, but also acts as a safety net for the youngsters who aren’t offered an apprenticeship with the club, allowing a member of Exeter City staff to monitor their progress.

The ladies’ team follows the same infrastructure; a college member of staff supported by an Exeter City staff member who delivers three training sessions a week and fixtures on Wednesdays. This setup provides excellent progression routes into the Exeter City Ladies set up with several of the Exeter College Ladies’ Academy team now playing for the Exeter City Ladies first team.

Exeter College is pivotal in making sure that players who come through the academy, but are not offered scholarships, still have a pathway to returning to professional or semi-professional football, coaching, or attaining academic opportunities that continue into a wide variety of fields, supported by the college’s extensive programmes.

Chris Wall, Exeter College sports academy manager, said: “The partnership between the college and Exeter City has grown rapidly over the last few years, it is a testament to the effort and dedication shown from both organisations. The academies are a fantastic opportunity for talented youngsters to work with the football club without having to forfeit their education.”

Recent success stories of the partnership include Elliott Frear. He gained a place in the Exeter College Football Development squad after various trials where City kept a close eye on his progress during college training and games, inviting him to pre-season sessions, under-18 and reserve team games.

On the completion of his two years he was awarded a short-term contract with the club where he would go on to make 11 appearances for the Grecians, debuting in the FA Cup, before a short stint with Salisbury City. Elliott joined Forest Green Rovers in 2014 and has been a regular in their team.

Versatile midfielder Scot Bennett, who made 132 appearances for the Grecians between 2011 and 2015, came through from Exeter College on route to becoming a professional footballer.

Speaking on behalf of Exeter City, Chairman Julian Tagg, said: “I have a great association with Exeter College having worked there for some time.

“It is pleasing to see the strength of the partnership continue to grow, and to witness the ever-improving opportunities for students connected with Exeter City that our club provides to shape academic opportunities leading to employment both inside football and sport, and the wider world.”

Institutions across Devon, Cornwall and Somerset – led by the University of Plymouth – have been awarded two years’ funding in the first phase of the National Collaborative Outreach Programme (NCOP), being launched by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) in January 2017.

As Exeter College is part of the consortium, it will be working actively in support of the project’s aims and objectives and will benefit from a portion of the funding. As part of this initiative the college will be hosting an Outreach Officer whose role will be to raise aspirations and explain options in relation to Higher Education, both within local schools and within the college itself.

The programme will drive a step change in the progression into higher education of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, including members of ethnic minority groups and young men.

Catherine Taylor, Head of Higher Education, People and Performance at Exeter College said:

“There are many routes into Higher Education and a diverse range of programmes, modes of study and qualifications available to meet all needs. Many potential students miss out on the benefits of developing higher level knowledge and skills because they do not have access to information about Higher Education or lack the confidence to apply. This project could make a real difference the lives of young people in Exeter, by helping them overcome some of these barriers to progression.”

To meet those goals, the consortium – under the name of Next Steps South West – will focus on Year 9 to 13 students in wards and schools identified as having presently low HE representation, using targeted interventions in an attempt to raise aspirations, achievement and awareness of HE.

HEFCE Director of Policy Chris Millward said:

“Our evidence has shown that there are young people in these areas who are achieving the qualifications they need to benefit from higher education, but are not currently doing so. The programme will ensure that they are better equipped to make the right choice for them by exposing the range of higher education options available and the careers they make possible.”

Professor Simon Payne, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Plymouth, said:

“Increasing HE participation in the South West’s most disadvantaged areas is a major challenge. But it is one faced by all colleges and universities so this united approach, building on previous successful collaborations, is the right way to try and address it. By reaching out to schools and young people at an early stage, we can ensure that every student – regardless of their background – has the chance to reach their full potential.”

Last night Exeter College held our annual Festival of Carols at Exeter Cathedral. Around 900 people congregated at the landmark site to enjoy the festival lead by The Very Reverend Dr Jonathan Draper and experience what a range of Exeter College’s students and staff choirs had to offer. With exceptional performances, high energy routines and thought provoking readings the college’s staff and students raised the roof of the cathedral and showed the local community what it was like to be part of the college.

The Festival of Carols collects donations every year for the college’s charity of the year. This year the College’s charity of the year is Devon Air Ambulance Trust and we are proud to announce we raised £1,181.51 at this year’s festival, almost £200 more than the previous year. This has been added to our overall collection total which now stands at an impressive £2,879.05.

Thank you to everyone who attended and well done everyone who was involved, it was a truly exceptional night.

Exeter College have made competition history after being crowned U18 AASE National Champions.

The team took the title and made competition history to win 53-19 against Gosforth Academy in the AASE League Championship Final at the high-profile venue Allianz Park, London, on Friday (December 2).

England Under-17s star Richard Capstick took home the man of the match award as Exeter touched down seven times during a brilliant all-round performance. The victory was the first time Exeter College has won the tough national contest.

“It was such a tough game,” said Captain Dan Swain. “They made it difficult for us by running everything but we’re so happy to win. It’s been a long journey to get here but to be national champions and do it here is incredible.”

Read the England Rugby match report here >

Direct Line for Business have been speaking to Exeter College staff and students about the opportunities and experiences that Apprenticeships provide. Interviewed were the College’s Programme Leader for Carpentry and Joinery, Mike Armitage, and NVQ Level 3 carpentry Apprentice, Karl Davey.

The interviews are part of the Tradesmen Knowledge Centre information hub for careers in construction trades provided by Direct Line.

Exeter College’s exceptional Apprenticeship programmes, which won the national Times Education Supplement Apprenticeship Provision of the Year 2016 award, were a key criteria in a perfect score in the recent FE week league table in which Exeter College was named the best college in the country.

Read Mike’s What can you expect during a carpentry and joinery apprenticeship interview and Karl’s story: A carpentry apprenticeship and beyond on the direct line website. If you have any questions about how to become an Apprentice, please contact the team on Apprentices@exe-coll.ac.uk or you can view our current Apprenticeship vacancies. You can also follow @ExeApprentices on Twitter for Apprenticeship news in Exeter and surrounding areas.

This morning Principal John Laramy spoke to BBC Radio Devon presenter Simon Bates live on air about the college’s numerous successes this year.

“An amazing year for Exeter College, It’s just been named the best college in the country!” said the Devon radio DJ opening his interview with the Principal, citing FE Week's new league table.

The news comes as the Exeter Chiefs Academy at Exeter College U18 rugby team is about to face Gosforth Academy in the AASE league final at Allianz Park, the home ground of the Saracens rugby team. The game will be played on Friday 2nd December 2017 at 5pm and will be streamed live on EnglandRugby.com.

Attributing the success of the college to the staff, students and stakeholders, John discussed how Exeter College was the only college on the FE Week table to receive full marks and how this all contributes to fantastic results and awards.

Listen to the full interview

This week the faculty of Business and IT hosted a mock interview day. The purpose of the day was to give Level 2 Business students an authentic interview experience. This allows them to plan, prepare and manage their time.

Various local employers were involved in interviewing, including employees of Exeter City Council and two staff members from our own Business Solutions team. They commented that “It was a really beneficial experience for the students.”

The event took place offsite at Exwick Community Centre. This was to ensure the experience was as authentic as possible, meaning the students had to find their own way there, and they were in an unfamiliar environment with people they hadn’t met before.

Organiser, Holly Forsyth, Work Placement Coordinator at Exeter College said: “This event is particularly important because it allows students to prepare for their future, and gain work-related experiences which aid their progression.”

Exeter College Foundation Studies students were recently part of a group of volunteers who took part in a clearing day at Houndtor Woods in the Bovey Valley. This project was run in conjunction with The Premier Paper Group and The Woodland Trust.

The day was organised in order to help clear Douglas Fir Saplings in Houndtor Woods, located on the edge of Dartmoor National Park in Devon, in preparation for the planting of more natural woodland at the site.

Volunteers had a number of important tasks including; helping aid restoration, clearing conifer seeding, and helping to maintain a number of small fenced experiment plots in Houndtor and Pullabrook Woods.

The planting of the natural woodland at Houndtor Woods will take place from now until March next year, and The Premier Paper Group, along with more volunteers, plan to return to Bovey Valley to plant some saplings in March next year.

The students were supervised by three tutors from college, and the response from everyone present was that they had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed their day helping to clear the forest floor.

You can read more about the project here.

On Friday 25th November nine students (Tom Brooks, Callum Lefebvre, Ben Story, Kit Nebbett, Brandon Milford, Ellie Brooks, Shannon Osman, Anya Butler, and Emma Helliwell) from the Exeter College Hockey Academy travelled to Cannock for the AoC Sport National Team trials.

Gus McVey, Hockey coach, said: “Despite a blow out on the M5 at Taunton, this didn't dampen the students spirit and they thoroughly enjoyed their day representing the College and the Academy superbly. All were very nervous including those who had been before but they worked together and even adopted a few other players from other Colleges who were on their own. The standard of the men's trial was very high and the skills on show were excellent. Both Kit Nebbett and Tom Brooks were successful from the boys and Shannon Osman and Ellie Brooks from the girls, in addition Anya Butler and Emma Helliwell are travelling reserves.”

You may have noticed a Christmas tree popping up on our website and around college. This is in anticipation of our annual Festival of Carols. This years image was designed by Thomas Hodder, who is studying the UAL Diploma in Art and Design. This winning design was chosen by Principal, John Laramy.

The Festival of Carols will take place on the 8th December at Exeter Cathedral. Doors open at 6.30pm. The evening starts with a candle lit procession through the Nave followed by performances by Exeter College students, orchestra and choir. All proceeds will go to the Devon Air Ambulance Trust, the college charity of the year.