Movie Magic

Back from the half-term break, our employees wasted no time in returning to their studies. On Tuesday, they were treated to another ‘Progression Day’, during which they polished their CVs and familiarised themselves with the college application process.

On Wednesday, our Year 11 employees participated in a Media skills workshop. Their brief was to create a short promotional video, advertising the Canon 1200D DSLR camera. First, they took portrait photographs of each other, and captured scenic shots of local plant life. 

They then edited these photographs in the application Paint.NET. After this, they created a short promotional video in Windows Movie Maker, demonstrating their new skills and showcasing the image quality that the Canon 1200D affords. Take a look at Lilly’s exemplary first attempt below.

On Thursday, our Year 10 employees met with the staff at Myatt’s Corner Café in preparation for their Hospitality and Catering course in January. Staff explained the importance of rigorous hygiene practices and outlined the basic duties that our employees will be undertaking. We look forward to seeing them in action after Christmas!

Looking the Part

During the half-term break, we wasted no time in readying ourselves for the future. Our premises are now immediately recognisable thanks to our new signage.

We love a #timelapse video here at Passport. Thanks to @sign2000uk for your hard work yesterday. #LookingThePart pic.twitter.com/SMRxPKS1iF

— Passport Programme (@Pp2eProgramme) October 20, 2015

We also welcomed some new PCs, further preparing us for the delivery of core and creative subjects from next week onward... And upward!

The Big Picture

The final week of this half-term began with a big addition to our IT facilities. Computer literacy is a priority here at Passport and we look forward to our employees using the new hardware.

Our employees ‘celebrated’ World Maths Day by sitting their pre-public Functional Skills Mathematics Exams on Wednesday and Thursday, as well as their English Functional Skills Exams.

These exercises are an important step in preparing our employees for their final GCSE assessments. 

To mark Twitter’s Education Day on Thursday, we published a video retrospective, highlighting the progress our employees have made since the beginning of September. You can view the video below.

As you can see, our employees are starting to take a look at the big picture; researching college courses and apprenticeships, and understanding the entry requirements.

At Passport to Employability, we don’t stop moving, and the half-term break will be no different. Check back next week to see how we keep ourselves busy while our employees take a well-earned rest.

Taking the Reins

Last Friday, our most recent graduates attended a celebration evening at our new premises.  Family and friends were able to admire the work produced by our former employees, and the employees themselves were able to share with us their early experiences of further education.

Just as our former employees have taken life by the reins, Year 10 employees Shakai, Dylan, Samantha and Shanay have taken the reins of this week’s blog post. They reflect honestly on their taster course in Motor Vehicle Maintenance.

'My name is Shanay and I have been on the Passport Programme for two weeks. I have been working on motorbikes at Young Lewisham Project. I have been working with tools that I haven’t really worked with before. I have also taken off a wheel, seen what was wrong with it, and put it back on. Another thing I have done is putting in brakes. I wouldn’t mind working at the Young Lewisham Project next year but if I was to go there, I hope there would be some very challenging work to do. I am looking forward to my next task, which is catering.'

'My name is Samantha. I have  been on the Passport Programme for a week  and it's been a great experience. At the Young Lewisham Project, I learned how to change a motorbike wheel and how to clean the chains properly. I also cleaned some tools. I found it therapeutic (therapeutic means it was relaxing). I would love to go back to the Young Lewisham Project so I can learn new things.' 

'My name is Dylan and I have been on the Passport Programme since the September 28^th. At the Young Lewisham Project, the activities I have undertaken are checking the wheels and tyres on a dirt bike.  The skills I have acquired are knowing the different sizes of bolts and when to use them during a job. Also I learned how to change sprockets and test the safety of the suspensions. I would like to work at the Young Lewisham Project next year because I enjoy it and I want to be a mechanic in the future.'

'My name is Shakai and I have been on the Passport Programme since March. I've been fixing motorbikes and normal bicycles. I made a hanging basket out of a bike helmet at the start and then moved on to other activities. I progressed by fixing punctures and checking if a bike brake needs fixing. I overcame some challenges such as picking up the hens and getting my hands dirty from oiling bikes.

'I'm looking forward to creating a whole new bike next year. I would like to be more creative next time and I will improve my punctuality.'

Our newest Year 11 cohort began experimenting with different patterns and textiles for Unit 1 of their BTEC Art and Design (First Certificate). Enjoy a brief Twidvid of their work from earlier in the week...

#Anotherdayattheoffice #BTEC #artattack @edgrayart @GoodNews_Schls pic.twitter.com/i7XPhX09Z7

— Passport Programme (@Pp2eProgramme) October 5, 2015

Finally, we’re pleased to announce that Luis was September’s employee of the month. He demonstrated excellent punctuality, behaviour and commitment to his studies.

Work and (The Scottish) Play

This week, our employees at the Young Lewisham Project (kick)started working on motorcycles. New starter Dylan, seen left saddling up, took an especially keen interest.

On Wednesday, Jodi and Luis visited Clapham Picturehouse to see Justin Kurzel’s film adaptation of 'Macbeth', as the play is a set text for their GCSE English Literature course. And the reviews are in…

'The way the film started was very powerful. It started on the battlefield... This caught my attention and I was intrigued as to what the film was going to be like.' -Jodi 

'I found it odd there being an army, half of which were adolescents. This only made the scene more powerful; seeing the teenage soldiers pass away on the battlefield.' -Luis

On Thursday, our Year 10 employees enjoyed a photography workshop, in which they learned basic principles such as depth of field and shutter speed. You can enjoy a selection of their photographs below.

On Friday, our employees began to look ahead to life after Passport, when they will rejoin mainstream education and pursue their chosen vocations. 


We look forward to charting their progress over the coming months.