Grace eyes career in rugby after being selected for national team

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A sixth form student from Ron Dearing UTC has taken a step closer to her dream career in sport after being selected to play for a national rugby team.

Grace Williamson was selected to play for England Community Lions Rugby League team after impressing the team’s coaches with her natural talent.

The 17-year-old has been playing for Hull FC in a variety of positions since 2022 and was selected to play during England Community Lions U21’s game against Australia Wanderers in second-row.

The England Community Lions are a representative group for players from community clubs across the country, which plays a key part of player development for the national teams.

Despite it being the first time the Community Lions U21 team had played together, they ran to victory, beating the Wanderers with a final score of 22:18.

Year 13 student, Grace said: “I was actually on holiday when I got the call to say I had been invited for a trial. I’ve never seen my parents so excited, they were jumping around our hotel room in Mexico! I got back from the holiday and three-days later went for the trial.

“I never expected to even be considered for the team, most people go through a Diploma in Sporting Excellence or the Yorkshire teams first, but I went straight to England!

“When I told my Mum that I’d actually been selected to play for the team she just started crying, all my family and friends were so shocked but really proud.

“The game went really well, we definitely didn’t expect to win! We were all so nervous going into it because we were playing against an experienced team which is used to touring, but we all supported each other and said that no matter what happens we all deserve to be on that pitch and will play with a smile on our faces.

“At the end of the game I immediately ran to my friend Lily who also plays for Hull FC and we were just hugging and crying, the emotions were definitely high.”

Growing up in a family of rugby fans, Grace got her first taste of the sport playing tag rugby in primary school, but her real passion developed in Year 9 when she had the opportunity to play in PE lessons.

She explained: “I was struggling at my old high school but rugby gave me a release and a way to switch off and relax. Something just clicked and I fell I love with the sport, it quickly became really addictive!

“My PE teacher at the time recommended I join a team to train with outside of school, so I contacted Hull FC. They invited me in for a few training sessions with the idea of seeing how I got on, and after the first training session they asked me to play in a game!”

Since joining Hull FC just three years ago, Grace has quickly demonstrated her talent for the sport, spending a season in the U14s team, two seasons in the U16 team, and now playing in the Women’s team.

After experiencing an injury on the pitch which left her hospitalised, Grace says she would love to pursue a career in the sport but is also focused on achieving well academically to ensure she has other career options.

Grace joined Ron Dearing UTC in Year 10 and completed GCSEs at the school before moving into the Sixth Form where she is currently studying A-Levels in Biology, Photography and English Literature and Language Combined.

She said: “One injury can put an end to your sporting career so I also want to make sure I do well in my exams and have other career options.

“I’m still focused on going as high as I can in rugby and my goal would be to get selected for any super league team, but I’m also hoping to secure a university place or apprenticeship to study paramedic science, I think it would be really rewarding to help people and bring a calmness to emergency situations.

“Everyone at Ron Dearing has really supported me both in terms of my school work and my rugby. They were flexible with my timetable, allowing me to travel to the England Community Lions game which I was really grateful for.

Ron Dearing expands creative offering with new courses

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Ron Dearing UTC is expanding its creative subject offering with the launch of two new courses.

The UTC  has introduced GCSE Graphics Communication and A-level Film Studies to its ever-evolving curriculum, offering a wider variety of subjects to students looking to pursue subjects in the arts.

The new subjects complement existing courses offered by the school and provide students with more opportunities to explore different creative pathways.

Ron Dearing has introduced GCSE Graphics Communication and A-level Film Studies to its ever-evolving curriculum

 

GCSE Graphics Communication

The new GCSE Graphics Communication course provides students with exposure to a range of graphic design techniques and key software used in the industry.  As well as being a really exciting qualification, it is great preparation for the UTC’s A level Graphic Communication course.

Students have kicked off the new course with an introduction to the software Adobe Illustrator, focusing on the theme of Identity to produce work in the style of visual artist Julian Opie.

In the coming months they will also learn how to use drawing tablets alongside other processes, such as screen-printing and spray painting.

Following the Identity project, students will be given a range of themes to choose from to produce a personalised project in which their outcomes could vary from packaging, to posters or illustrations.

Assessed by the AQA exam board, the course will include course work and a 10-hour creative exam.

Course leader and Deputy Head of Creative and Graphics Lead, Gemma Elliot said: “Graphic communication and design infiltrate our whole society from the designs on billboards, to the packaging we encounter on a day-to-day basis.

“Teaching our students how to engage with and create products that we utilise prepares them for the future; whilst they are learning industry standard software.”

The new subjects provide students with more opportunities to explore different creative pathways

 

A-level Film Studies

Through the new A-level Film Studies course, students will explore the world of cinema diving into film making, script writing and photography, building upon the critical thinking skills developed in GCSE English Literature.

Students will study a wide scope of films ranging from Vertigo (Hitchcock, 1958) to Joker (Phillips, 2019) and many more to develop an understanding of how film often reflects society.

Students will also have the opportunity to develop their own creativity by putting what they have learnt about film language and meaning into practise through a project of their own during which they will come up with their own original story and develop it through a script and film/photography project.

Assessed by the EDUQAS exam board, the course will be assessed through two written exams as well as a piece of course work in which students will develop their own short film or a screenplay.

Course leader and English Teacher, Niamh O’Donnell said: “Students can explore the creative world of cinema in this A-Level course whilst exploring films from around the world and through the ages.

“They will develop their understanding of how directorial decisions help create both a visual spectacle as well as very clear meanings and responses in audiences.”

Ron Dearing UTC launches first T Level course in Digital Software Development

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Ron Dearing UTC has announced the launch of its first T Level course during a fully booked Open Event.

The school announced it will be running a T Level course for the first time in the 2026-2027 academic year to a packed-out audience of prospective students and their parents and carers.

Launched in the UK in September 2020, T Levels are new technical equivalent to three A-levels which have been developed to bring classroom and workplace learning together, providing young people with the knowledge and skills employers are looking for.

Ron Dearing’s new Digital Software Development T Level course aims to give students a solid understanding of the fundamentals of computer science. Throughout the two-year course students will cover a range of topics including core programming fundamentals, data manipulation, website development and cyber security.

A key element of the course which sets T Levels apart from other technical qualifications is the industry placement, which requires students to complete 45 days or 315 hours working with an employer to gain real experience of the workplace.

Ron Dearing UTC will be working with its existing employer partners as well as potential new partners to facilitate the work placement portion.

Assessed by exam board Pearson, the course will include two written exams as well as two externally set projects.

The school’s Senior Assistant Principal for Digital and Computing, Zaeem Basit said: “This course is designed for students who know they want to pursue a career in the digital sector, giving them a firm foundation from which they can step into employment or higher education.

“One of the key benefits of T Levels is that they have a significant amount of hands-on practical work experience built into the qualification through an industry placement tailored to the digital sector. This creates lots of opportunities for students to put their learning into practice in real-world scenarios which enable them to consolidate and extend the knowledge they gain in the classroom.

“T Levels fit well with RDUTC’s educational philosophy in that they support students to build their transferable skills from the very start, providing them with opportunities to meet employers and business leaders, build their network and develop skills such as communication, teamwork and a strong work ethic.”

Senior Assistant Principal for Digital and Computing, Zaeem Basit.

 

Following completion of the course students are able to progress into highly skilled employment, apprenticeships or higher-level study, including university, within the specialist area of digital software development. The qualification supports progression into job roles such as web developer, mobile app developer, games developer and many more.

The introduction of the course has been spearheaded by Zaeem who has seen first-hand the benefits T Levels have for young people.

He explained: “Before moving to Ron Dearing I worked at Leigh UTC, which was the first school in Southeast London to introduce T Levels. I was heavily involved with the introduction of the course there and developed it into a really successful scheme.

“We developed a catalogue of resources and built strong relationships with local, regional and national businesses. Many of the students have now gone on to secure highly skilled jobs in the industry, providing businesses with a pipeline of young talent.

“After seeing the success of the course at my previous school I knew it was something which would be a great fit for Ron Dearing too, and I’m excited to welcome our first cohort of T Level students next year.”

Prospective students who are interested in finding out more about the new T Level Digital Software Development course are encouraged to attend an upcoming Open Event. To book a place click here.