End of Year Student Awards 2024

Winner: Award for Endeavour 1 - Oliver Frost



When Oli joined RNC he did not find it easy being at a residential college, but through determination he has gained confidence and has flourished in his surroundings. Particularly of note this year, Oli has worked exceptionally hard in English to develop written and verbal communication skills, always keen to improve his outcomes using study support to maximise his development. He has made considerable progress this year.

Winner: Award for Endeavour 2 - Niamh Wedlake



Niamh started at RNC with few qualifications and has battled against ill health for much of her time at College, but is the most determined, yet personable, character staff have reported to have met in a long time. She has not only achieved her Level 2 qualifications but has gone on to Level 3 and is expecting excellent results.

She works hard both in and out of the classroom, developing revision groups and a support network that extends through various friendship groups both of students currently in College and previous students.

Niamh's tenacity and commitment along with her excellent communication skills are outstanding.

Winner: Contribution to the RNC Community Award - Kai Codrington

 
Kai is always willing to help others and has been very supportive to his peers in sessions, on activities and around the College as a whole. He takes the time to guide and support others, listening to their issues and helps suggest ways to solve them.

He is considerate of those around him and always ensures he introduces himself to potential students when they visit lessons, and ensures they feel included and welcome and continues to communicate with them outside of lessons.

Highly Commended: Award for Progress - Will Harper



When Will began Independent Living Skills (ILS) in September he was petrified of the kitchen, he wore gloves when entering, was scared of the oven/hob and heat in general. He said he would only ever use the air fryer to cook food. 

Over the year it has been incredible to see how his confidence has grown, moving from self-catering with the air fryer to working with both the hob and the oven. 

At first it was all done hand over hand, but he has gradually started doing more and more and has now achieved self-catering on all kitchen equipment. He can use knives, peelers, talking scales and the talking thermometer completely independently and only uses oven gloves when needed. He says he enjoys cooking and now enjoys cooking some of his favourite dishes which he never though he would be able to do.

Winner: Award for Progress - Rubin Thackray



Rubin has made huge progress this academic year with regards to sport and his own personal development, particularly with regards to communication and self-confidence.

Rubin began the year as a recreational Goalball player with a vision of representing RNC at regional level. He has demonstrated a fantastic attitude towards sport and has developed a range of skills that he openly admits, do not come naturally to him.

This year we have seen Rubin progress from a shy and reserved student, who at times lacked the confidence to put himself forward and fully engage with Sports Academy activities, to a student who plays an active role in sessions, leading warm ups, coaching others and demonstrates leadership during competitive games.  Not only has he played at regional level this season, he has also stepped up and become a valuable member of the RNC Intermediate team, playing alongside others and opposition that are far more experienced than him. He recently supported the RNC team in finishing second overall in the National League and was voted Player of the Weekend at the final competition of the season.

It has been very pleasing to see Rubin grow in confidence and come out of his shell with regards to communicating with his peers and staff. He has a lot to offer to a team and we want to see him take this confidence into other aspects of his life, as the progress we have witnessed this year in terms of playing ability, communication, leadership and physical fitness has been amazing.  

Winners: Award for Music - Hazal Yavuz and Sonali Shah



Hazal and Sonali have worked well together all year, complementing each other by bringing different skills to their musical collaborations. 

They have worked hard in sessions and in their own time writing and producing multiple pieces of music. 

They are always enthusiastic in creating music, support their peers and deserve to be rewarded for their creative contribution to the Music Department and the College. 

Winner: Award for Positivity - Kaitlyn Williams



Kaitlyn always has time to stop and chat to her peers and staff, with a smile on her face, enjoying a bit of banter while always remaining polite.

Kaitlyn's work ethic is inspiring, she is supportive of other students, and gives 100% in every aspect of her work.

She has an obvious keen interest in learning and her determination, along with her positive attitude, ensured that she achieved particularly well in Health & Social Care moving from the Level 2 Award to the Level 3 Certificate. 

Kaitlyn is always willing to try new tasks and is a joy to work with. 

 

Winner: Award for Reliability - Evie Gormley



This Award is given to a student not only for good attendance, but also for their organisational skills, willingness to be involved in tasks and being an active team member. This year the Award goes to Evie Gormley who has been a reliable member of the Massage and Complementary Therapies team. 

Through hard work and dedication, Evie has progressed well this year, dealing with clients in a friendly and professional manner. They have worked with, and communicated to, a wide range of clients from different backgrounds, including adults with learning difficulties at the Aspire Centre, Armed Forces veterans, runners at the London Marathon, NHS staff, residents at a residential care home, staff members from the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and staff at Hereford Sixth Form College during a wellbeing day.

Evie is always willing to treat anyone who is in need without any hesitation. She is always punctual and well prepared. She has been a great asset to the Massage team this year and a pleasure to work alongside. 

Winner: Work Placement Award 1 - Sienna Sewell



Sienna has worked extremely hard in a local school each week, making a valuable contribution to the children. 

A statement from the teacher of the class says that Sienna is:

'An absolute gift, who has a wonderful rapport with pupils and staff alike. She is a wonderful role model to the children, often noticed to be encouraging them to persevere with their learning tasks, supporting, encouraging and caring for each and every one of them.'

The teacher goes on to say:

'Thank you, Sienna, our very best wishes for your future.'

Winner: Work Placement Award 2 - Kyron Wyatt



Kyron has been a key member of the team at thePoint4 this year, working as a Recreation Attendant since September 2023.

Kyron has been reliable, punctual and demonstrates a great work ethic. He has a friendly nature, is easy to get on with, making shifts more enjoyable for those he works with. He is always eager to do whatever work needs doing and he completes work to a high standard, willing to help out wherever needed, including staying late after his shift, always looking for more to do or help with.

Kyron is well suited to this work and has integrated well into the team. He deserves full recognition for the commitment and effort he made during his work placement at thePoint4.

Winners: External Ambassador Award - Ryley Day-Hector and Freya Gavin



Freya and Ryley took on the Manchester Marathon in April, raising over £3,400 for the Sports Academy and the Massage and Complementary Therapies Department. This was the first marathon for both students.

Freya took part in the marathon as part of her Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). She independently planned, organised and fundraised for their marathon participation. She also secured the help of volunteer guide runners to assist her training when residing in Hereford.

Ryley had to battle through illness but still managed to complete the marathon in an impressive 04:46:41 pushing through the physical and mental challenges. Freya tackled the marathon with the help of a guide. The terrain presented its own challenges, having to navigate around numerous potholes that made the going tough, but finished with a very respectable time of 05:09:31.

Freya and Ryley demonstrated that with dedication and the right support system, anything is possible. Freya's determination and resilience, along with Ryley's perseverance through illness are a true testament to the strength and determination of these two students.

Winner: Award for Assistive and Digital Technology - Zac Myers



Zac is an excellent student. He works hard in lessons and has demonstrated a lot of skills within the subject area. 

Zac has become proficient at using a number of different applications and is always happy to help others in lessons. Additionally, he has learned many new skills this year to manage visual design using JAWS screen reading technology. He overcame a real challenge and was far out of his comfort zone, but was able to give a good presentation of his work.

He has also been one of only a few students who willingly tested the Monarch Braille display and Mantis for Humanware, providing comprehensive feedback.

He completed work experience this year with Dolphin who reported that Zac was a pleasure to work alongside, with a great sense of humour.

Winner: Award for Progress in Assistive & Digital Technology - Logan Holland



At the start of the academic year Logan had no assistive technology skills, but promptly demonstrated a willingness to learn and explore simple but fundamental digital skills such as plugging their laptop charger to the wall and connecting their laptop to the QBraille. 

Logan is now able to send emails, save documents into OneDrive, send documents as an attachment, and do basic formatting in a Word document.

Highly Commended: Award for Sport - Humna Hussain and Raven Scott



Humna and Raven both won their separate leagues for the National Small-Bore Rifle Association's VI Air Rifle Winter League. One in Division 4 with a final score of 53 points out of 60 and the other in Division 5 with 54 out of 60. 

This competition was against other shooting clubs throughout the country, and it was the first time that RNC had entered. The competition involved 10 shots per round for 10 rounds.

Out of a maximum of 1000 points both Raven and Humna got an average score of 97.9 putting them both joint 8th out of over 50 shooters.   

Winner: Best Guide Dog Award - Judy (and her human friend Izzy Theophanous)



It goes without saying that every single one of the guide dogs at RNC are amazing but not only does Judy have the waggiest tail and happiest demeanour, she was the inspiration for the new Groom Room. She is a thoroughly loved support animal who seems readily willing to work and take care of her human.

Judy is great to have around College, very calm and great with students and other dogs. She has a mischievous side though and likes to torment some of her furry friends by stealing their toys.

We will miss her around campus next year.

Highly Commended: Award for Jumping in with Both Feet - Lizzy Bull



Lizzy has embraced every opportunity available at RNC with a very positive attitude and friendly manner.

Her friendly nature and resilience to enjoy every experience offered is inspiring.

Winner: Award for Jumping in with Both Feet - Oscar King



Oscar gets fully involved in all aspects of RNC in the learning environment and beyond, who grabs opportunities with both hands and gets involved in everything the College has to offer.

Oscar has joined in many activities, trips, clubs and fully embraced life at RNC. 

Every Monday he reports with enthusiasm in telling staff all about his weekend at the College and what he did with his friends.

Winner: Award for Exceptional Progress - Baha Beki



Baha is almost unrecognisable from the person that started at RNC a few years ago - the progress he has made is nothing short of outstanding.

Baha has pushed himself out of his comfort zone regularly and taken on opportunities that when he first started, would have thought impossible.

His work ethic is exemplary across programme areas and work placement alike, and his success has been down to not only a gradual increase in his own confidence in his skills and abilities, but his sheer, quiet determination to not let anything beat him.

One of the biggest changes has been in his communication skills, with both his peers and staff alike, which is unrecognisable from his starting point at RNC.

Your teachers report that it has been a pleasure to watch you develop and flourish into the person you are today. We wish you the very best for the future and are so proud to have been just a little part of your journey. 

Winner: Award for Sport - Conall Moore



Conall consistently demonstrates exceptional dedication and selflessness, always being the first to assist fellow students in need. Whether it's guiding a lost student, helping out at 7.30am Goalball sessions, or using his free lesson to support his peers in lessons with patience and care.

His willingness to sacrifice his own time to benefit the team is a testament to his selfless nature. His recent volunteer work with the Aspire Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) programme further highlights his compassionate and caring nature. He goes above and beyond and demonstrates exceptional empathy and kindness.

Winners: Taskmaster Award



Humna, Jennifer, Daisy and Aiden make up this year's winning Taskmaster team.
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Winners: Best Team Award - Blind Football Team

This year the Blind Football team has won the National Blind Football League, The Brian Aarons Cup and the European Blind Football League (in partnership with the FA). It has not only been the success of the players and coaches involved on the pitch but also a real team effort with a number of RNC students and volunteers contributing to the team's success.

This has been through a range of coaching roles during matchdays, through supporting the European Blind Football League, which RNC hosted over the Easter weekend and also travelling abroad to attend a number of European competitions.

 


Throughout all of these opportunities the RNC Football team has demonstrated excellent footballing skills but also positively represented RNC and demonstrated how professional we are as an organisation when it comes to introducing and nurturing student athletes.

This season the team has seen a real mix of ex RNC students and established Blind Football players fielded alongside current RNC students and players on the England talent pathway, whilst introducing brand new players and even potential new students to the sport.

 


The staff supporting the Blind Football League have gone above and beyond this year to provide opportunities for our RNC students and the recognition as the best Blind Football team in the country is very much deserved and testament to the hard work that is put in day in day out on the football pitch and in the gym.

The players have been excellent ambassadors for RNC and continue to demonstrate how we are operating as a sporting centre of excellence for any young person with a visual impairment who has aspirations to achieve in high performance sport.

Congratulations:

Amelie Ford, Freya Gavin, Shamreaz Hussain, Muhammad Jamil (Coach), Bob Lowrie (Volunteer), Callum Lynch (Volunteer), Conall Moore (Coach), Jack Offord, Megan Smithson-Booth, Jay Stallard, Lucja Wyrwantowicz,