UK News

The Secretary of State for Education Gavin Williamson MP visited Exeter College to learn more about the impact new T Level qualifications will have on the region’s learners.

As a government-selected ‘early adopter’ of the new technical-based qualification, Exeter College is the only provider in Devon offering T Levels for 2020 delivery, with courses initially available in Construction, Digital and Education and Childcare. Further T Level courses will launch from 2021 as part of a national roll out.

T Levels mark a revolution in technical education in the UK as the...

Two vets from Indonesia are the first to benefit from a unique new scholarship programme run by a Cornish vet charity. OVAID – Orang utan Veterinary Aid – is run by Nigel and Sara Hicks, based in Launceston. They help hard-pressed orang utan rescue centres and sanctuaries with veterinary support and donations of equipment.

The new OVAID Bronwyn Scholarship meant that two South East Asian vets were able to make the 12,000 kilometre (7,500 mile) journey to the UK to exchange techniques and information on the care and welfare of orang utans.

During their stay they spent a week...

One of the most striking birds in the world has bred at Paignton Zoo. The scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber) is famous for its bright red feathers – although, as you can see, the chicks are anything but scarlet.

There’s no other wading bird as scarlet as a scarlet ibis, but it takes time for juveniles to grow into the colour. It’s not until their second moult that the birds begin to take on that extraordinary rosy sheen. It can take two years or more for the dazzling change to be completed; the colour comes from the red crustaceans in their diet.

Keepers don’t want to disturb...

Exeter College’s vocational students joined together to celebrate their achievements in a garden party held at the college’s Hele Road campus.

Vocational and technical qualifications offer a more practical and applied style of study and are offered by a range of awarding bodies but at Exeter College BTEC, UAL and City & Guilds are the three largest.

Many Level 3 programmes are the equivalent of up to three A Levels. Vocational & technical programs tend to focus on continuous assessment rather than exams and typically provide a practical method of acquiring skills...