A Ron Dearing UTC student has become one of the youngest people in the country to secure a pilot’s licence.

Liam Garrett, 18, has gained his Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL) after working hundreds of hours in a supermarket to fund his dream.

Sixth form student Liam worked 900 hours as an assistant in the home shopping department at Asda in Hessle Road, west Hull, to pay for 49 hours of practical and theory-based training – four hours more than the 45 hours required to earn his licence.

Liam trained with Hull Aero Club at Beverley Airfield in Leven, East Yorkshire, every Sunday since April 2021. He used 90% of his wages to cover the £147 per hour lessons.

Liam said: “I’ve wanted to fly since my seventh birthday when I was allowed into the cockpit on a flight home from Lanzarote. The plane was on the stand and the captain let me push the throttle forward a little bit.

 

“I sat back in my seat and the captain announced it was my birthday, so everyone sang to me.

“I spoke to a few pilots online during lockdown and I knew that if I worked hard, I could learn to fly, so I booked my first lesson and never looked back.

“It didn’t sink in that I’d passed until my licence landed on the doormat. I absolutely love flying because you’re away from everything, you’re completely focused on it and one hour feels like 10 minutes.

“It’s quite unusual for someone my age to gain this licence. I learnt to fly a plane before I passed my driving test!”

Liam learnt to fly in a two-seater Cessna 152 light aircraft and has now progressed to a four-seater as he continues his training.

 

His ultimate dream is to become a commercial airline pilot for a major flight company and he is already planning the next required 180 hours in the sky at Doncaster Sheffield Airport Flying School over the next two years to fulfil his ambitions.

Liam said: “I’m so excited and can’t wait to fly a twin engine commercial aircraft. In another two years I want to be in the cockpit of a commercial aircraft carrying passengers.

“Nottingham is the furthest I’ve flown so far. Determination definitely took over during Covid and I’m really proud of myself for pursuing it.

“My computing teachers at Ron Dearing UTC have been really supportive and interested in what I’ve been doing. It’s nice to have that support at school from both students and teachers.”

Anyone can fly a plane or helicopter as a passenger or student as long as there is a licenced pilot in the cockpit to take control if required. However, you must be 16-years-old before you can take a solo flight and 17-years-old before you can earn a Private Pilot’s Licence.

Liam’s training included more than 10 hours of solo flight. He passed his theory exams with an average mark of 98%, passed his skill test on May 12^th this year and was awarded his licence soon after.

 

His examiner, Peter Spencer, Head of Training at Hull Aero Club, said: “It’s a tremendous achievement for anyone to gain a Private Pilot’s Licence but all the more so at just 18-years-old. Liam joins a select group who have accomplished this as a teenager.

“We’re glad he has chosen Hull Aero Club to take the first step towards becoming a professional pilot and wish him every success in that endeavour.”

Liam’s mum Debbie, who recently flew with him, said she is proud of her son and his drive to succeed.

She said: “Liam has worked so hard. I’m not a big fan of flying but he is really confident and he made me feel at ease. He is very determined and we’re so proud of him.”

Sarah Pashley, Principal at Ron Dearing UTC, said: “This is an amazing achievement for Liam and certainly something to be proud of.

“We actively encourage our students to take part in various enrichment activities outside of the classroom to broaden their horizons and soak up culture, music, sport, arts and more.

“Liam is a shining example of what can be achieved and we’re very proud he’s using his drive and ambition outside of school to follow his dream and reach his goals.”

Ron Dearing UTC student Emma Giblin has been shortlisted in a regional competition to inspire sustainable solutions to climate change.

Marketing Humber’s The Waterline Student Sustainability Challenge asks students aged 9 to 18 to make a positive impact on local and wider communities and the environment.

It is part of The Waterline campaign, which is leading the region’s drive to a net zero economy.

Year 11 student Emma, 16, designed a mural highlighting flood risk and the impact of climate change and rising sea levels on Hull, showing the moment the tidal barrier breaks due to the sheer volume of water.

She has now been named as one of the six finalists in the competition.

 

The six finalist teams or individuals will receive £250 and a VIP behind-the-scenes business experience. Overall winners will receive an additional £2,000 for their school or college eco project or Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts or Mathematics (STEAM) club, plus a trip to Norway.

Sarah Pashley, Principal of Ron Dearing UTC, said: “Congratulations to Emma on this fantastic achievement.

“She has used her talent to highlight the very real impact of climate change through her mural and I’m delighted she’s been recognised by being named as a finalist.

“The Waterline Student Sustainability Challenge is a wonderful competition and I wish Emma the best of luck in the final judging stages.”

Ron Dearing UTC sixth form students Catherine Crees and Jaden Taylor scooped the top prize in the competition last year for their carbon calculator project.

Their project helped students and staff offset their carbon footprints by walking or cycling to school, rather than using other modes of transport, which led to their peers and teachers changing their travel habits and the need for the school’s bike shed to be expanded.

Their winning idea secured them a trip to speak at a fringe event of the global United Nations (UN) climate change conference COP26, held in Glasgow.

Catherine and Jaden were also awarded £2,000 towards their wider eco project to plant a tree for every Ron Dearing UTC student past, present and future in Hull city centre.

Alicia Woodward, Marketing and Communications Executive at Marketing Humber, said: “I have been so impressed by the entries received this year.

“The enthusiasm shown by the students, paired with such a range of brilliant and creative ideas to help combat climate change, has been inspiring.”

The competition winners will be announced at The Waterline Summit 2022 in October.

Students and staff at Ron Dearing UTC are helping to inspire the next generation in a thriving partnership with Hull and East Yorkshire Children’s University.

The charity is committed to building the confidence, self-esteem and aspirations of young people living in areas of high deprivation by providing a diverse range of unique and exciting experiences which bring learning to life outside the classroom.

Ron Dearing UTC has held a series of workshops for youngsters since the school opened its doors in 2017. This year’s sessions focused on several areas including F1 in Schools, the world’s largest Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) competition, led by Ron Dearing UTC students participating in the global challenge.

Other sessions centred around engineering, virtual reality (VR) experiences and tours of the UTC’s state-of-the-art facilities.

Most recently, Ron Dearing UTC teamed up with the Centre for Digital Innovation (C4DI) in Hull, enabling year six children from Christopher Pickering Primary School and year five pupils from The Parks Primary Academy to meet business representatives based in the tech hub.

 

The youngsters, who are gifted and talented in technology and coding, spent the morning with David Keel, Chairman of C4DI, and representatives from brand management and packaging company T=0, drone videography operators Octovision Media, smart tech company Sauce and Barclays bank, completing tasks and competitions.

They then visited the UTC in Hull’s Kingston Square for a digital experience and an introduction to computer programming, working with micro:bits and creating their own Harry Potter-based “sorting hat” to understand the detail behind the technology.

Mark Ollerenshaw, Vice Principal for Personal Development, Behaviour and Welfare at Ron Dearing UTC, said: “We’re really proud of our partnership with Hull and East Yorkshire Children’s University and the latest session we ran alongside one of our Major Partners C4DI for the first time.

“We’re offering children the opportunity to see what we do and broaden their horizons. It gives them a fun introduction to Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) activities while helping them to understand the type of education they could have to reach their future goals.

“We’re looking forward to continuing the partnership, seeing how it develops and inspiring more young people for years to come.”

 

Jessica Gibson, Schools Liaison Manager at Hull and East Yorkshire Children’s University, said: “The sessions with C4DI and Ron Dearing UTC offered an amazing hands-on experience to show children more about tech jobs in Hull. If they’re creative and have an interest in computers there are lots of careers for them to think about.

“We want to make them proud of the city and show them there is so much opportunity in tech for the next generation. It also gives the UTC an opportunity to spot talent early on and gives the children something to aspire to if they wish to study there in the future.”

Amy Gibbs, 11, a year six pupil at Christopher Pickering Primary School, said: “We found out about jobs and careers we might be interested in. I found the day really interesting and fun.”

Fellow year six pupil Tyler Hall, 11, who also attends Christopher Pickering Primary School, said: “The day was fabulous and I really enjoyed it. I’m interested in technology and making things and I would like to be a student at Ron Dearing UTC in the future.”

For more information about Hull and East Yorkshire Children’s University visit www.hullchildrensuniversity.com

Ron Dearing UTC students have submitted their entries in a competition aimed at inspiring greener thinking and positive action to tackle climate change.

The Waterline Student Sustainability Challenge, run by Marketing Humber and sponsored by Equinor and SSE Thermal, encourages students across region aged 9 to 18 to make a positive impact on communities and the environment by coming up with climate change solutions.

Ron Dearing UTC has submitted three entries this year, following the competition themes of Arts and Creativity, People and Community and Technology and Innovation.

Year 11 student Emma Giblin, 16, used her artistic skills to design a mural highlighting flood risk and the impact of climate change and rising sea levels on Hull, showing the exact moment the tidal barrier breaks due to the sheer volume of water.

Year 12 student Oliver Moyes-Cockroft, 16, created an educational virtual reality (VR) walkthrough environment to demonstrate different types of renewable energy to primary school children using Autodesk Fusion computer software.

 

Meanwhile, fellow Year 12 students Ellis Stipetic and Kirby Spencer, both 17, created a small wind turbine from almost fully recycled components as part of their Humber Turbines project to help developing countries generate low cost power.

The competition is part of The Waterline campaign, which brings together Marketing Humber and the University of Hull with leading regional, national and international businesses to support the Humber’s transition to a zero carbon economy.

Glenn Jensen, Senior Assistant Principal and Head of Engineering at Ron Dearing UTC, said: “This is a fantastic competition which encourages students to put a great deal of thought into their entries.

“Our students have really showcased their talents this year and produced some excellent engaging content and design ideas. Their projects further highlight the impact of climate change on our region and the steps we can take to address it.

“We’re looking forward to seeing how the competition progresses and wish our students the very best of luck.”

This year’s entries come after Ron Dearing UTC sixth form students Catherine Crees and Jaden Taylor scooped the top prize in the competition last year for their carbon calculator project.

Their project helped students and staff offset their carbon footprints by walking or cycling to school, rather than using other modes of transport, which led to their peers and teachers changing their travel habits and the need for the school’s bike shed to be expanded.

Their winning idea secured them a trip to speak at a fringe event of the global United Nations (UN) climate change conference COP26, held in Glasgow.

Known as the “Sustainability Crew,” Catherine and Jaden were also awarded £2,000 towards their wider eco project to plant a tree for every Ron Dearing UTC student past, present and future in Hull city centre.

This year, six finalist teams will receive £250 and a VIP behind-the-scenes business experience. Overall winners will receive an additional £2,000 for their school or college eco project or Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts or Mathematics (STEAM) club, plus a trip to Norway including a VIP visit to an Equinor facility.

Judging for the competition is underway and Marketing Humber will announce the finalists shortly, with the winners announced at The Waterline Summit 2022 in October.

For more information about The Waterline campaign visit https://thewaterline.global/

Further information about The Waterline Student Sustainability Challenge is available via https://thewaterline.global/students/

Several of the region’s leading businesses have partnered with Hull’s employer-led school to provide students with industry standard skills and help create their potential future workforces.

Advanced Plastics Ltd and Shipham Valves have become Major Partners of Ron Dearing University Technical College (UTC), while CATCH, Northern Powergrid, Ridings Consulting Engineers and Spectrum have become Partners.

In addition to its Founding Partners, the UTC in Kingston Square, Hull city centre, has many other successful businesses working alongside it as Major Partners and Partners.

These companies help to develop and deliver employer-led projects, offering work experience and apprenticeships and leading the school’s careers information, advice and guidance programme.

Major Partners also play a key role in helping to develop the Ofsted “Outstanding”-rated school’s unique employer-engaged curriculum.

 

Founded in 1992 and celebrating 30 years in business this year, Advanced Plastics employs almost 250 people at its 65,000 sq ft manufacturing site at Sutton Fields in Hull. It provides a diverse range of technical injection moulded products for blue chip clients across a range of market sectors.

Rob Anderson, Joint Managing Director at Advanced Plastics Ltd, said: “Becoming a Major Partner presents us with an opportunity to develop our talent pipeline to feed our own technical solutions and what better way to do it than supporting the development of local young minds.”

Shipham Valves was founded in Hull in 1798 and is now based in Brough, employing 75 staff. It specialises in the design, development and manufacture of a range of valves used in global industries including onshore and offshore oil and gas, petro chemical and power generation.

The business is taking on four apprentices from Ron Dearing UTC in September and plans to organise hands-on programming sessions, work experience, further apprenticeships and industry standard projects for students to work on in the future.

Managing Director Rob Moulds said: “We want to support Ron Dearing UTC to promote engineering and inspire students at the earliest possible stage, taking on apprentices and enabling them to have the right mindset and values we want to see as a business.”

CATCH is an industry-led partnership supporting the process, energy, engineering and renewable industries in Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and the Humber, and helps to develop and deliver skills and apprenticeship programmes both regionally and nationally.

 

James McIntosh, Chief Operating Officer at CATCH, said: “We’re extremely passionate about developing young people and ensuring our region has the right skills to become a hub of industry for years to come. The UTC model of excellent education, facilities and people links to our aims of creating a talent pipeline for apprenticeships.”

Northern Powergrid is responsible for the electricity distribution network that powers everyday life for eight million people across 3.9 million homes and businesses in Yorkshire, northern Lincolnshire and the North East, employing 2,700 people.

Cathryn Harper, Northern Powergrid’s Regional Customer Service Manager for the Humber, said: “We’re on a mission to find different ways to attract new talent into our industry. This partnership will help inspire more Ron Dearing UTC students, from a diverse range of backgrounds, to be part of our exciting journey to create a greener energy system to power peoples’ lives and our region.”

Hessle-based Ridings Consulting Engineers specialises in building services engineering design solutions for refurbishment and new construction projects. Its 14-strong team works across the commercial, industrial, public and private sectors.

Director Liam Beardshaw said: “We’ve already taken on two apprentices from Ron Dearing UTC and we’re taking on another one or two in September. The long-term goal is to help to shape our potential future workforce even further.”

Spectrum has helped hundreds of organisations manage and improve their business and print processes for over 35 years. The company, with a head office located at Bridgehead business park in Hessle, and a second office based in Newcastle, are always on the lookout for securing new talent and being able to grow it’s thriving workforce.

 

Spectrum is looking to offer work placement, apprenticeship and employment opportunities to Ron Dearing students.

Sally Evans, Director of People at Spectrum, said: “We have a huge focus on training and progression, being able to provide our people with opportunities in which to flourish.

“We want to continue to work with schools, colleges and universities to link up with young people who have a specific interest in what we do. We are proud to partner with Ron Dearing UTC and looking forward to working together.”

Ron Dearing UTC caters for students aged between 14 and 19, offering a specialist focus on digital technology, creative digital, art and design and digital engineering.

Glenn Jensen, Senior Assistant Principal and Head of Engineering at Ron Dearing UTC, said: “We’re delighted to welcome six new Employer Partners on board and continue to build on the success of our employer-led learning model of education.”

Monday 5th & Tuesday 6th September are assessment days for new Year 10 students.  Details of which day students are required to attend has been emailed to parents.

School reopens for all students on Wednesday 7th September at the following times:

Year 10  – 9.15 am

Year 11 – 1.15 pm

Year 12 (Students who were NOT at RDUTC in Year 11) – 10.30am

Year 12 (Students who were at RDUTC in Year 11) – 11:25 am

Year 13 – 2.15pm

Dozens of Ron Dearing UTC students were recognised for their outstanding efforts in school at a special Celebration of Achievement Evening.

The event, hosted by Principal Sarah Pashley, was attended by Year 10 and Year 12 students and their parents or carers, members of the UTC’s Governing Board, representatives from the school’s Founding Partners and Ron Dearing UTC Patron and former Hull West and Hessle MP Alan Johnson.

Students were presented with awards, including dedicated accolades sponsored by the Founding Partners, recognising those who have gone the extra mile in their specialist subjects and also excelled in terms of developing the professional skills and qualifications required by industry.

Many were also congratulated for achievement and productivity in core subjects, and the UTC’s specialisms of Digital, Engineering, iMedia and Art & Design.

Sarah said: “We’re incredibly proud of all our students and these awards are a fantastic way to recognise their achievements in such a special way.

 

“They’ve worked very hard, despite being faced with the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, and we know they are destined for bright futures.

“This is the first time we’ve been able to hold the event in two years due to the pandemic and we’d like to thank to our Founding Partners and Alan Johnson for backing the awards.”

Richard Martin, Chair of Ron Dearing UTC’s Governing Board, thanked parents for their unwavering support over the past two years, the school’s staff and leadership team for their continued dedication and commitment, and governors and employer partners for their backing.

He said: “As Ofsted said when they visited, if Carslberg did schools Ron Dearing UTC would be it.

“The last few years have been tough and the students have had a lot to cope with. It’s fantastic to see them progressing so well.”

 

Alan presented the Patron’s Award for Young Advocate of the Year to Year 12 students Jessica MacLachlan and Mercy McFarlane. They are the driving force behind Mach Racing, one of two Ron Dearing UTC teams competing in the global F1 in Schools Challenge.

The F1 in Schools challenge is the world’s largest Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) competition. Each team designs and manufactures a miniature car based on the official F1 model using Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM).

Videos of the two teams were also shown during the awards evening, capturing their competition journey so far as they prepare for the regional finals later this year.

Alan said: “Presenting this award to Jessica and Mercy is what the UTC is about. The way we are doing education differently is not something we should be keeping to ourselves in Hull. It’s something the rest of the country should know about. Tonight, we’ve seen the actuality of what great education means.”

 

The full list of winners:

 

YEAR 10

Core subject achievement awards:

Maths – Kobi Toft

Physics – Giacomo Davis

Chemistry – Kobi Toft

Biology – George Speight

Combined Science – Thorsan McEwen

English – Natasha Bilton

 

Core subject productivity awards:

Maths – Aiofe Curran-Smirk

Physics – George Campbell-Hamilton

Chemistry – Sophie Preston

Biology – Amber Nicholson

Combined Science – Nathan Greenwood

English – Rilee Agius

 

Digital achievement awards:

Computer Science – Hermione Cook

Information Technology – Kobi Toft

Creative Digital – Joshua Bishoprick

Digital productivity awards:

Computer Science – Robbie Kew

Information Technology – Norbert Wawrzyniak

Creative Digital – Kai Bulliment

 

Art and Design  achievement awards:

Art and design – Beth Mason

Photography – Oliver Perry

 

Art & Design  productivity awards

Aet & Design – Kai Mears

Photography – Abbie Brown

 

Engineering achievement awards:

Systems – Tommy Rowe

Manufacturing – Wiktor Rybacki

Design – Kai Bulliment

 

Engineering productivity awards:

Systems – Alex Malnics

Manufacturing – Jessica Dickinson

Design – Madison Mason

 

Professional values and behaviours awards:

Mikey Turner

Jaheim Williams

Thomas Coldbeck

Mazin Amudi

Kai Bulliment

Ryan Lee

Bradley Sykes

Amanda McCourt

Kyla Allen

Evan Russell

Ben Phillips

Joshua Bishoprick

 

Employability Skills award – Michael Kennedy

Digital Talent of the Year – Oliver Holmes

Creative Talent of the Year – Beth Mason

Spencer Group Award for Contribution to the Community – Zach Craig

 

 

YEAR 12

A-level achievement awards:

Maths – Peter Sward

Further Maths – Alexis Vanags

Physics – Alexis Vanags

Chemistry – Tom Dannatt

Biology – Peter Sward

English – Isabella Acaster

 

A-level productivity awards:

Maths – James Acey

Further Maths – Cohen Morfitt

Physics – Ellis Stipetic

Chemistry – James Acey

Biology – Isabella Acaster

English – Leia-May Palmer

 

Technical Digital achievement awards:

Computing – Declan Lingwood

 

Technical Digital productivity awards:

Computing – Layla Richards

 

Creative achievement awards

Art and Design – Sam Maw

Creative Digital – Cameron Markwell

 

Creative productivity awards:

Art and Design – Erin Rowe

Creative Digital – Jessica Harkins

 

Engineering achievement awards:

Systems – Connor Langton

Manufacturing – Joe Green

Design – James Hindle

 

Engineering productivity awards:

Systems – Jessica MacLachlan

Manufacturing – Jamie May

Design – Lewis Hudson

 

Professional values and behaviours awards:

Spencer Kirby

Mercy McFarlane

Ajay Hull

James Acey

Dalma Szilagyi

Riley Robinson

Jack Macmillan

Jessica Harkins

Aleksis Vanags

Marcus Swaby

Samuel Oliver

Ellis Stipetic

 

Employability skills award – Jessica McLachlan

Engineer of the Year – Jack Macmillan

University of Hull Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement – Isabella Acaster

KCOM Award for Best Communicator – James Acey

Reckitt Award for Inspirational Leadership – Marcus Swaby

Siemens Gamesa Quality Excellence Award – Peter Sward

Smith+Nephew Award for Innovation – Cameron Markwell

Patron’s Award for Young Advocate of the Year – Jessica MacLachlan and Mercy McFarlane

Ron Dearing UTC students were offered a glimpse of their potential future career paths at an expo supported by almost 20 of the region’s leading businesses and organisations.

The employer-led school organised the Careers Expo in its conference centre on July 5^th for existing Year 10 and Year 12 students, Year 10s joining the UTC in September, prospective Year 12 students and their parents.

They found out more about apprenticeships and future career prospects while asking questions of those who work in industry and former Ron Dearing students who have taken up apprenticeships with the school’s Employer Partners.

Representatives from the University of Hull, the UTC’s lead education partner, the Army and Royal Navy also attended to share potential opportunities with the students.

Year 10 student Kieran Stockton, 15, said: “The Careers Expo was great and I really enjoyed it. I’d like to be an electrician in the future and it was good to meet the Employer Partners to talk about that. The fact they’re willing to take time out to speak to us is amazing.”

 

Year 12 student Joe Green, 17, who is studying triple engineering in Ron Dearing UTC’s sixth form, said: “I’m interested in the mechanical side of engineering and I’m 95% certain I’d like an apprenticeship rather than going to university because I prefer hands-on learning.

“It’s helpful that Ron Dearing UTC organises events like this for us because we can meet the Employer Partners and it will hopefully help us get a foot in the door when we leave sixth form.”

Fellow Year 12 student Maisie Smith-Sainsbury, 17, who is also studying triple engineering at the UTC, said: “It’s great to gain wider knowledge about what the businesses do and shows us what careers we could pursue in the future. I found the expo really interesting.”

Louise Babych, Community and Employee Impact Partner at KCOM, a Founding Partner of Ron Dearing UTC, attended the event with colleagues IT Delivery Manager Paul Moon and Product Architect Richard Tyas.

She said: “We’re really proud of our founding partnership with the UTC and we want to open the students’ minds to the many career opportunities we have at KCOM and what a great place it is to work.

“It’s important the students are aware of opportunities as early as possible and the more they can meet colleagues who are doing the job, the better. Talking to them is inspiring and hopefully helps them choose the right career path.”

Sauce, one of Ron Dearing UTC’s Major Partners, is based at Hull’s Centre for Digital Innovation (C4DI) tech hub, and specialises in working with large, traditional companies as their digital partners, creating solutions to key business challenges to keep them ahead of the technology curve.

 

Technical Support Manager Mel Brooker, who attended the expo alongside several Sauce colleagues, said: “We all come from different backgrounds in our team and you don’t have to go to university to be successful.

“It’s fantastic that Ron Dearing UTC organises events like this and it was great to see the students interacting with so many businesses.”

Ron Dearing UTC caters for students aged between 14 and 19, offering a specialist focus on digital technology, creative digital, art and design and digital engineering.

Mark Ollerenshaw, Vice Principal for Personal Development, Behaviour and Welfare at Ron Dearing UTC, said: “Last year’s Careers Expo was held on a smaller scale following Covid restrictions, so it was brilliant to be able to bring it back in all its glory. The expo is part of the furniture at Ron Dearing UTC and is a firm favourite in our calendar each year.

“It was really well supported by our Founding and Employer Partners, who are equally as passionate about careers and skills as we are. The expo gives students chance to talk to representatives about career pathways and businesses linked to our specialisms.

“They can find out more about job opportunities and employers can meet our students too, so it works both ways.”