Strode College is celebrating the outstanding achievements of last year's 20-21 students through its annual awards held in April 2022.

 Students who completed their courses last year were nominated by their teachers for awards in one of 22 categories, based on outstanding performance on their course and exceptional personal qualities.  

 Most of those who received awards had completed A Levels and vocational qualifications last year, but there were also awards for Higher Education Student of the Year, Adult Student of the Year, Apprentice of the Year, the Rachael House Award for Skills for Life and Success Against the Odds. 

 Katy Quinn Principal and CEO said, "We were so delighted to be able to host our awards evening in person once again. Strode Theatre is the perfect setting for this celebratory event which recognises the success and achievement of our students. Massive congratulations to all of our Finalists, Highly Commended and Award Winners, who have achieved beyond expectations. They are all winners in our eyes and should be incredibly proud of their achievements."

 In recognition of their achievements, all winners and highly commended students received an engraved glass plaque. Finalists, receive a signed certificate from the College. 

Award winners: 

Hair, Barbering and Beauty Student of the Year – Katie Rawlings

Studied: Beauty Therapy Techniques L3

Hometown: Street

Previous School: Crispin School

Katie was an exceptional student at both Level 2 and Level 3, she had 100% attendance and achieved distinctions at both level 2 and 3. Katie was a pleasure to teach and was polite to all members of staff and worked fantastically hard on clients gaining amazing feedback. Katie could work well within a team and on her own and had an exceptionally high standard of work. In May 2021 Katie interviewed for Steiner Academy to work on board cruise ships, after the interview Katie had to be recorded carrying out treatments and a full consultation with a client. Following this Katie was accepted to the Steiner Academy. Katie spent the summer at the Academy learning different treatments and gaining further knowledge. In September Katie left for Miami to join her cruise ship the Norwegian Gem, where she is travelling to Belize, Barbados, Mexico and Jamaica whilst working within the spa on her days at sea. Katie is loving her job and visiting countries, she keeps all staff back at the college posted with pictures of her travels.

John Lewis Award for Science – Amber Edwards

Studied: Physics, Maths & Chemistry 

Hometown: Shepton Mallet

Previous School: Ansford Academy

 Amber's success is a testament to her resilience and determination. She was highly motivated to achieve top grades at college and she overcame considerable obstacles to do so. Amber's meticulous approach to both practical experiments and problem solving in Physics enabled her to succeed well beyond her minimum expected grades. She is now studying Aeronautics and Astronautics at Southampton University.

Business Student of the Year – Harrison Mapstone

Studied: Business L3 Extended Diploma

Hometown: Glastonbury

Previous School: St Dunstan's Academy

Harrison showed great resilience at addressing his anxieties about written work. Harrison contributed considerably in classroom discussions and linked in his personal experience of the workplace. A proactive communicator, Harrison was able to access the support he needed showing maturity and honesty.

Engineering and Technology Student of the Year – Rami Salehi

Studied: Engineering L3 Extended Diploma

Hometown: Martock

Previous School: Stanchester Academy

Rami was an excellent student throughout his time on the Extended Diploma in Engineering and his work was always done to a high standard. An extremely polite young man, Rami was well respected by his fellow peers and students alike. He achieved the highest grade obtainable on the course as well as achieving an excellent grade in his English GCSE, further confirming his dedication to his studies. Well done Rami!

English Student of the Year & Overall A Level Student of the Year – Orla Donoghue

Studied: English Literature, Politics and Photography

Hometown: Wells

Previous School: Wells Cathedral School

 Orla's enthusiasm for Literature was evident from the beginning of the course. Hungry for reading recommendations and voracious in her appetite for texts of all flavours, Orla was intrinsically motivated to study through genuine enjoyment. Orla was an asset to classroom discussions as an articulate and compelling speaker unafraid to offer fresh interpretations to texts. Orla's mature approach to her studies during lockdown was testament to her resilience and natural affinity for learning, her insightful observations about texts she was reading outside of the curriculum were welcome highlights in her lecturer's inbox during this period! Orla also contributed several terrific performances of original and cover songs - utilising her English skills in another way, in fundraising for India. She also performed these songs at concerts in Kolkata and was an outstanding student preparing lessons to deliver to the children in India on the Strode College India Expedition 2020.

Orla was nominated Overall Student of the Year for two reasons, first for her outstanding organisational skills as she is a well-structured individual and secondly she has an uncanny ability to make links between her subjects and apply them to real life scenarios. Orla can easily see relationships between subjects that help enhance her understanding. She has the ability to go beyond what is required, constantly producing university undergraduate level work. Orla is a role model to everyone studying A Levels. 

Health and Care Student of the Year – Cameron Wallace

Studied: Health & Social Care L3 Extended Diploma

Hometown: Shepton Mallet

Previous School: The Blue School

 Cameron Wallace came into the course determined from the start to pursue a career as a paramedic, working within the NHS. Cameron is very able, mature, self-motivated, and hardworking student. He took numerous opportunities throughout his two years of the course in college and outside of college, to gain knowledge and experience which he then applied to his studies. Cameron was always driven and committed with a clear focus on recognising areas for self-development. His work was always well presented, written to a high standard and often achieved all criteria on first submission. He has a fantastic sense of humour and a warmth which draws people in. He was always challenging and pushing himself to succeed and held a desire to exceed, which he did, gaining a place on a Paramedic Science course at university. Cameron fully deserves to have been nominated for the Health and Care Student of the Year and we wish him every success for his future!

Hospitality, Travel and Tourism Student of the Year – Paulina Sowa

Studied: Hospitality, Travel & Tourism L3 Diploma

Hometown: Yeovil

Previous School: Stanchester Academy

From the start Paulina was a committed, conscientious and hardworking student completing all tasks to the best of her ability with a motivated, self-managed approach. She was enthusiastic, yet meticulous in her approach to self-driven learning and research, always providing detailed examples within class and assignments. During her time studying at Strode Paulina secured part-time employment with a nationally recognised hotel chain increasing her experience and exposure to industry. Paulina achieved D*D* in both her BTEC Diplomas in Hospitality and Travel & Tourism. Paulina has progressed to UWE studying International Business.

Humanities Student of the Year – Tallulah MacNeary

Studied: Politics, Philosophy and History

Hometown: Street

Previous School: The Blue School

Tallulah was a positive student who overcame a lot of personal challenges to complete the course and showed a real interest on the courses she was studying and perseverance to succeed.

IT and Media Student of the Year – Ash Floyd

Studied: IT Practitioner's L3 Extended Diploma

Hometown: Wells

Previous School: The Blue School

Ash has been a highly driven and motivated student throughout the course of his studies at Strode College. He continually strived to achieve the best results, faced every task with a positive can-do attitude and problem solving mind-set. His dedication to his studies and knowledge gained of the different IT disciplines has meant that he has left his course with the highest achievable grades.

Brian Jefferson Award for Maths – Amelia Ford

Studied: Computer Science, Maths and Physics

Hometown: Wedmore

Previous School: The Kings of Wessex Academy

Amelia excelled across a four A Level programme. She achieved an A* in Maths in her first year, before completing Further Maths the year after, achieving another A*. She achieved 'Best in Year' in the Senior Maths Challenge in 2019. Amelia would always bring a smile to the classroom and ask intelligent questions to move things forward.

Richard Frapwell Award for Modern Foreign Languages – Verity Hull

Studied: Spanish, Biology and French

Hometown: Charlton Adam

Previous School: Huish Episcopi Academy

Verity is one of the most talented students we have ever taught. She is natural linguist and although things came easy to her, she always worked with cheerful commitment throughout the two years and thoroughly deserved her A*. She was always motivated, enthusiastic and a very well-liked member of the class. She was a real pleasure to teach.

Music and Performing Arts Student of the Year – Alfie Galpin

Studied: Music L3 Extended Diploma

Hometown: Yeovil

Previous School: Buckler's Mead Academy

Alfie is a standout performer, writing and producing songs to an astounding standard. He completed his 14 track debut whilst in college and has had airplay on 'BBC Introducing' and interviews with Simon Parkin from 'BBC Somerset'. His new album will be ready to be downloaded from Spotify and other digital channels in May. He has represented the college in our community as a performer countless times. Alfie is someone to keep an eye on, he is a fantastic musician with a bright future.

Social Sciences Student of the Year – Teodora Varga

Studied: Art & Design, Phycology and Sociology

Hometown: Shepton Mallet

Previous School: Whitstone School

Teodora was an incredibly hard working student from day one in Sociology. She was actively interested in the subject, not just in terms of the exam, but in how it could be applied to the world around her. Her theoretical and conceptual grasp of the subject was outstanding and she produced consistently excellent pieces of written work throughout the course and as the evidence for her TAG. She was always willing to ask questions and she responded well to feedback and continued to develop her sociological skills over the two years. She worked well with other students in the group as well as independently during lockdown. She was an absolute pleasure to have in the class and we are very proud and pleased that she received a well-deserved A* in A Level Sociology.

Sport and Public Services Student of the Year – Lily Fawcett

Studied: Sport L3 Extended Diploma

Hometown: Shepton Mallet

Previous School: Home Schooled

Lily completed her Extended Diploma in Sport with a D*D*D* grade. This is obviously an outstanding grade achieved in a very difficult academic year. Before studying at college Lily was home educated, she was able to demonstrate independence, initiative and resilience by completing her GCSEs within a limited timeframe. This enabled her to progress on to a college course. Initially Lily wanted to study A Levels but did not meet the entry requirements, therefore she was placed on a vocational course, their loss was definitely the college's gain! Unperturbed, Lily went on to really flourish on the sport course developing not only her academic skills which were exemplary but also her personal attributes fully.

Visual Arts (2D/3D) Student of the Year – Xia Hooper-Ainsworth

Studied: Art & Design, Biology and Psychology

Hometown: Glastonbury

Previous School: The Blue School

Xia is an outstanding artist, an absolute pleasure to teach and so well deserving of this nomination. Her technical skills are accomplished, sophisticated and belie a talent beyond her years. Achieving A*, Xia developed a series of exceptional paintings exploring the 'Seven Deadly Sins', often large scale, challenging and experimental. We wish her all the very best for a sparkling future!

Adult Student of the Year – Aaron Baylis

Studied: Education T Level

Hometown: Wells

Previous School: Fosse Way School

Congratulations to Aaron Baylis, our Adult Student of the Year. Aaron has been with us for four years. Aaron has completed both the Level 1 Access to Further Education course and the Level 2 Childcare course finishing it with a Distinction grade. After that, he pioneered into the T Level in Education on its first year offered at Strode, and now he is concluding his second year. He has completed his job industry placements and received incredible feedback from his employers. By winning this award the College acknowledges his hard work and dedication.

Apprentice of the Year – Tom Bailey

Studied: Commis Chef Apprenticeship

Hometown: Wells

Previous School: The Blue School

Tom won this award based on the commitment and hard work he put into his Commis Chef Apprenticeship at the Swan Hotel in Wells. He has fulfilled his academic qualifications as well as his culinary skills. He has displayed great enthusiasm and knowledge and it shows in all elements of his development. Tom completes his practices in college and the hotel, and is loyal to both. Congratulations on winning this award and the very best in the future.

Higher Education Student of the Year – Tom Keeley

Studied: Management (Public Sector) Foundation Degree

Hometown: Wells

Tom Keeley, he impressed us from day one. He has the right attitude and experience and wrapped us all up with his positive attitude and enthusiasm. He had 100% attendance and was an excellent role model to his peers and easily became a spokesperson for them. He truly deserves the Higher Education Student of the Year, congratulations.

Rachael House Award for Skills for Life – Tania Dumea

Studied: English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

Hometown: Bridgewater

The first day Tania arrived in the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) class in September 2019, she had not being long in England but had already secured a job in Bridgwater. She was determined to learn English and to push herself. Her attendance was fabulous even though it might have been difficult to travel to college after a hard day's work. Tania was one of the few students that had the confidence to take the written exam and passed it on the first go with flying colours, then signing up for the next level. As the pandemic arrived classes moved to Zoom, but she kept progressing in her English, a significant achievement. Tania was a positive, thoughtful member of the class. We wish her well in her career and her bright future and this award is well deserved.

Overall Vocational Studies Student of the Year – Isobel Knight

Studied: BTEC Health and Science Care L3 Extended Diploma

Hometown: Street

Previous School: Crispin School

Isobel completed a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care. Despite the challenges from the pandemic Isobel remained motivated and determined to succeed. Her ambition is to become a paramedic, she trained as a 'vaccinator' and gained a certificate while still at Strode. Since finishing the course, she has taken a gap year and is gaining experience in the field working in vaccination sites and care homes gaining some excellent skills. We are thrilled she secured a place at university to study Paramedic Science BSc. Isobel is an excellent role model and thoroughly deserves the award.

Success Against the Odds – Sawan Abubakir

Studied: Applied Science L3 Diploma

Hometown: Martock

Sawan came to Strode after only being in England for a few months. He arrived as a refugee escaping from a country in conflict. A challenging first year at college overcoming cultural, language and social barriers. He had no GCSE's and was put in Level 2 for English and Maths and he excelled in these alongside studying Level 3 Applied Science. He was accepted to Kingston University in London to study Pharmaceutical Science with the foundation he acquired at Strode. Sawan absolutely deserves this award as the winner of Success Against the Odds. Well done!

Finalists Subject Categories:

Hair, Barbering and Beauty Student of the Year

Lily Rossiter 

Teona Nica

John Lewis Award for Science

Neo Channing

Sarah Tassell

Business Student of the Year

Bronwyn Job

Engineering and Technology student of the Year

Poppy Lott

English Student of the Year

Molly Taylor

Beatrice Stitfall

Health and Care Student of the Year

Rachel Gibbons

Hospitality, Travel and Tourism Student of the Year

Abbie Palmer

Humanities Student of the Year

Jessica Riley

Faith Futcher

IT and Media Student of the Year

Jack Vincent

Brian Jefferson Award for Maths

Juliette Reid

Madeleine Hartland-Dykes

Richard Frapwell Award for Modern Foreign Languages

Megan Lee

Blanca Kolozsvari

Music and Performing Arts Student of the Year

Oskar Patalas

Jack Busby

Social Sciences Student of the Year

Bronwyn Hall

Orla Donoghue

Sport and Public Services Student of the Year

Erica Varney

Callum Strange

Visual Arts (2D/3D) Student of the Year

Charlie Gifford

Kate Rowan

Finalists Overall Categories - Highly Commended:

Adult Student of the Year

Ann Diment

Overall A Level Student of the Year

Amelia Ford

Apprentice of the Year

Scott Carpenter

Higher Education Student of the Year

Christina Packer

Overall Vocational Studies Student of the Year

Rami Salehi

Success Against the Odds

Freya Light