We hope to display this information in school to inspire current students with their future prospects by providing a first-hand view of different career options and helping plan their journey towards their dream careers.

To provide students with an insight into different careers and jobs we are inviting former students to get in touch and tell us about what they have done in their working lives and the challenges that they have faced in getting where they are now. If you want to help all you need do is contact us with details of your job, qualifications and career path as well as any advice you can give to students considering that career.

If you can help please use the below questions as a basis of your response and reply to Mrs Harrington-Coonan (CIAG Coordinator) at Redcar Community College, Kirkleatham Lane, Redcar, TS10 4AB (joannehcoonan@redcarcc.com).

• When did you attend our school?
• What is your job title (please provide an outline of your role and responsibilities)?
• What qualifications are needed for your job?
• What advice would you give to student wanting to follow your career path?
• Is there anything else you would like to add to help our students plan for future careers?

No sooner had we returned to school following our Christmas break we were contacted by the BBC who had heard about our reading programme.  The students were eager to share their experience with the Look North news team and so welcomed them in to one of their sessions.  To watch the BBC Look North news broadcast please watch the attached film below.

(Video: Watch this video on the post page)
NOTE: Once you press play this video will take 10 seconds to start. 

At Redcar Community College we are having a night for breast cancer awareness in the Compass Centre and we would love you all to come along and help us.

There will be lots of stalls to buy from including cupcakes, cookies, soaps, cinder toffee, a raffle and tombola. As-well-as this you will be provided with a free cup of tea or coffee.

We hope you can make it to support this worthy cause.

Mum-of-two Pauline Douglas, assistant head of Redcar Community College, tackled the Great North Run for Kidney Research because her son Matthew, three, suffers from chronic renal failure.

Matthew’s kidney problem was picked up from a routine 20-week scan when Mrs Douglas, 41, was pregnant.

Since he was born, the brave tot has undergone two bladder operations at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary in his short life – including one when he was just five weeks old.

With his kidneys functioning at just 30%, Matthew’s condition is controlled by medication.

And although he’s doing well at the moment, he will eventually need a kidney transplant.

To thank the “fantastic” RVI team who care for him, Mrs Douglas – a former county sprinter – decided to tackle the Great North Run and raised £640.

But students at the Redcar school also wanted to help.

After a suggestion by Year 10 student Dean Froom – whose late grandfather Gordon Nicholas chaired the Kidney Foundation in the North-east but died last year after chronic renal failure – they held a coffee morning and raised a further £115 for Kidney Research.

Dean and his classmates are part of the Excel Club, Prince’s Trust, which is linked to the alternative curriculum for enrichment and allows young people to develop skills such as team work, leadership and problem-solving.

To the admiration of course teacher Jacquie Kelly, they self-managed the coffee morning, including baking cakes and biscuits and organising the room layout for staff and students.

Dean also did a presentation to the Excel Club about Kidney Research, showing how a coffee morning could make a difference.

Mrs Douglas, whose other son is Alec, nine, spent a year training for the Great North Run with the Women’s Network running group in Ingleby Barwick.

She admitted the half marathon was “very much out of my comfort zone”.

And she said she was “very touched” by Dean’s gesture in supporting Kidney Research.

She added: “The young people at Redcar Community College are so giving and supporting of charities, staff and students. They will always go the extra mile to do their best.

“Our school ethos is about promoting a safe and caring learning environment. Our students are part of our extended family and this is exactly what Dean and his classmates have shown. They are a credit to our school.”

Article courtesy of the Evening Gazette.

The programme aims to enhance not only the students’ love of reading but also to develop their literacy understanding and skills.

Here is what some of the students and staff involved had to say about the day:

“I really enjoyed the solar ovens. The cakes were really nice and very yummy. Thanks very much. I really enjoyed myself.”  – Charlotte, Ryehills

“Great session with diverse activities that were accessible for the whole age range – Year 10s were as enthusiastic as the Year 7s. Delivery was very enthusiastic and genuine – which was evident to all students and was infectious. A good day!” – Mr Stockwell, Ryehills

“I really enjoyed today. We made solar cookers and did a fair trade selling activity. I also met lots of new people and had lots of fun.” – Joseph, Sacred Heart

“I’ve enjoyed today. I have learnt that every day we all, without knowing or meaning to, play a part in global warming and that farmers receive more in fair trade than farmers not in fair trade.” – Tekeila, Ryehills

Fifteen-year-old Ellen Garbutt spent the past week with Kier North East, as the firm pressed ahead with developing state-of-the-art premises for Dormanstown Primary School pupils to return to in September.And the Redcar Community College student, who is undertaking a Level 2 Engineering Diploma, has relished the chance to get first-hand experience of the industry.

Ellen spent two days on the Dormanstown site, before visiting the company’s Hebburn offices in South Tyneside.

She said: I have really enjoyed taking part in this special work experience. I have learned a lot about the construction and engineering industry and it has opened my eyes as to how these sorts of places work.

Kier North Easts Corporate Responsibility Manager Terry Hanlon said: “At Kier North East we actively encourage women to consider the construction industry as a career and Ellen has been a refreshing addition to the team. She took part in Kier North Easts Women into Construction workshop earlier in the year so its a credit to the Kier team that she asked to spend her work experience with us.

Redcar Community College headteacher Stuart Rees said: I am delighted that Ellen has had this wonderful opportunity to visit a real-life engineering environment where she has been able to gain a deep insight into a variety of possible careers.

Ellen is currently undertaking the Engineering Diploma, which has at its heart engagement with real employers in real-life situations. I’d like to give Kier Construction the credit for giving Ellen this insight into the exciting world of engineering.

Councillor Joan Guy, Redcar & Cleveland Borough Councils Cabinet Member for Childrens Services and Education, added: The building of the new Dormanstown Primary School is a very exciting development and I am pleased that Ellen has learned so much from being a part of it. I wish her every success now and in the future.

Youngsters from Redcar Community College are tackling a simulation of Hurricane Mitch – which battered Central America in 1998 – as part of an engineering event on Friday, July 1.The all-day task will see the year nine students work with construction firm Kier North East to become rapid response engineers addressing the myriad challenges posed by natural disasters, from sanitation and water to transport infrastructure.

The event has been designed to raise the profile of civil engineering as a career option, with students set to learn new skills by building their own shelters.

Kier is presently working on the nearby £4.75m project to build a new Dormanstown Primary School.

The company’s Corporate Responsibility Manager, Terry Hanlon, said: “Kier North East is delighted to be involved in helping young people find out more about the relationship between education and employment and how civil engineering impacts on our daily lives.

“As the contractors appointed by Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council to build the new Dormanstown Primary School, this has given has given us the opportunity to work with students from various schools in Redcar and we hope we can continue to support education in the area by using construction as a context for learning.”

Redcar Community College headteacher Stuart Rees said: “The chance to work alongside engineers from Kier presents a unique opportunity for our students to gain an insight into the challenge, excitement, responsibility and sheer variety of experience a career in engineering brings.  Although our young people learn about the impact of hurricanes and other natural disasters in the Geography lessons, the activities planned with Kier will really bring those classroom lessons to life.”

Councillor Joan Guy, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Education said: “It is fantastic that our contractors are lending their expertise to help promote possible career choices for local students and hope that other firms will give their time in this way in the future.”

The hospitality received in Montoro was second to none and host families welcomed our students with open arms and treat the students as if they were their own children. We were given the opportunity to look round the school, all the staff were really welcoming and students got to experience lessons within the school.

Lots of activities were provided including visits to Cordoba, Seville and Granada. Both staff and students thoroughly enjoyed their time in Spain.  Students at the start of the trip were very apprehensive about staying with another family, it was lovely to see how this changed throughout the course of the trip, as they made long lasting relationships with the families and many students were in tears and didn’t want to leave the friends they had made.

Both staff and students kept in touch communicating through email and face book until it was time for the students to visit RCC. Everyone both staff and students alike were very excited awaiting the arrival of their newly found friends.

IES Santos staff and students arrived at RCC on Tuesday 3^rd May 2011. Following the initial excitement and tears as friends and staff were reunited, students participated in a game of mini Olympics. Spanish students were then introduced to their host families.

The week progressed with lots of visits out to Whitby, Kirkleatham, and Newcastle Sage, where students had the opportunity to see the sites and climb Roseberry Topping. Both staff and students had a tour of the school and were involved in lessons working closely with the drama and arts department.

The exchange came to an end with a leaving party for everyone to say their goodbyes on Sunday 8^th of May 2011. This was a very emotional evening; however this is not the end but the start of a long relationship between the two schools, host families, staff, students and friends.

The experience for the students has been amazing, not only have they been on trips, gone to nice restaurants and built long term relationships. They have created newsletters, travel guides, participated in blogs and wrote articles reflecting on the whole experience which has improved their communication and language skills immensely.

The Spanish exchange has been a huge success for both schools; the exchange would not have been a success without the hard work, organization and kindness of many people. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved, staff and students at both schools and especially the host families who without them this event could not have gone ahead.

Thank you