Our students provide customer service on the Eurostar

The Momentum Team with college assessors

Sussex Downs College is proud to be working with Momentum Services Ltd, who provide Eurostar with a full on board and business lounge service in London, Paris and Brussels.

The College has been supporting staff to gain their NVQ certificates in customer service and team leading. The first group of 21 staff recently received their certificates at a special presentation held at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel at St Pancras International station.

"Working with Sussex Downs College has been a fabulous experience. The assessors have delivered all the training in the workplace and have been very patient and flexible to fit in with our staffing rosters, quite often arriving early and staying late.”  said Sophie Barlow Head of Operations at Momentum.

Fran Ludford, NVQ Training and Development Leader at Sussex Downs College said: “Working with Momentum is showing how we can meet employer’s needs, large and small and deliver according to learners and employers requirements. With a dedicated team of work based competent assessors these needs can be met, as shown with the success of this first cohort. Going forward with Momentum we are looking forward to continuous success for their staff and the company.”

Find out how we can help you train your workforce. Call us 0845 2302 007 or email employertraining@sussexdowns.ac.uk

Visit: Employer Training at Sussex Downs College

Hair and Beauty Awards 2011 at Eastbourne Vocational College

Hair and Beauty students celebrated as they received their end of year awards at a special presentation evening at the Kings restaurant at Sussex Downs College in Eastbourne.



Awards were presented across a range of categories including apprentice of the year, outstanding hairdressing and beauty student and student of the year in hairdressing, beauty and complementary therapy. Apprentice of the year was Callum Bird. Hairdressing student of the year was Holly Odell and Complimentary Therapist of the year was Jess Moule.

Hospitality Awards at Eastbourne Vocational College

Hospitality and catering students celebrated as they received end of year awards at a special presentation evening at the Kings restaurant at Sussex Downs College in Eastbourne. Awards were given to the Entry Level 3, VRQ level 1 and Level 2, L3 NVQ & BTEC students.

Reece Love, 19, a former Ratton School pupil from East Dean was named Hospitality and Catering Student of the Year. Reece was a recent Gold Medal winner at the Wessex Salon Culinaire Hospitality and Catering Show which is the UK’s largest young chef and waiting competition.



Above: Our students receive their awards at the ceremony

The awards are part of Sussex Downs College’s commitment to celebrate high quality vocational achievement recognising their value for learners and their progression. The celebrations form part of the national VQ celebrations.

Vocational qualifications deliver the trained, talented employees businesses are looking for and ensure young people have the skills needed to succeed in education and work.

See all our Hospitality and Catering courses at Sussex Downs College

Lewes Beauty Therapy students are winners at WorldSkills UK

Lewes students dominated the regional Worldskills UK competition in the beauty therapy intermediate category. We also had a first place in the advanced competition too.

The winning team were

• Kirsty Gillman (17), a previous Tideway School pupil from South Heighton, who took first place
• Lauren Agate (17), a previous Oakmeeds pupil from Burgess Hill, who took second place
• Sarah Packer (20), a previous Oakmeeds Community College pupil, who took third place. 

The winner in the advanced category was Hannah McCloy (19), a previous Uckfield Community Technology pupil from Uckfield.

Left to right: Lauren Agate, Kirsty Gillman, Sarah Packer, Hannah McCloy

"Many congratulations to the students and to the staff team who have taught them so well. This is an excellent result and you should all be rightly proud.” said Melanie Hunt, Principal and Chief Executive.

See all beauty therapy courses available at Sussex Downs College

Photography students to feature in Royal Academy online exhibition

Nicola Mayer

Fabienne Thomas

Gemma King

  James Wiles

Photography students in Lewes have been shortlisted for the prestigious Royal Academy A-Level Summer on-line exhibition from over 950 submissions. The students James Wiles (18) a previous pupil at Downlands Community School from Burgess Hill, Nicola Mayer (19) from Hove, Fabienne Thomas (18), a previous pupil at Ratton School from Eastbourne and Gemma King (18) a previous pupil at Newlands Manor School from Seaford were selected by a panel including Michael Landy RA and Kathleen Soriano, Director of Exhibitions. The exhibition can be viewed online at http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/

See what photography courses are available at Sussex Downs College

Charity fundraiser for Alzheimer Society and Help for Heroes

Adult students’ on the Admin Skills for the Workplace from the Eastbourne campus  raised funds for the Alzheimer Society and Help for Heroes. The first team held a charity fete which raised over £215. A second team held a raffle, home-made cake sale and a sponsored male body wax, which raised over £300.



Admin Skills for the Workplace students dress to impress for their fundraiser!



New job advice and skills development centre opens in Eastbourne

Eastbourne Works is a new job advice and skills development drop in centre in Eastbourne. The shop provides information and advice for job seekers so they know what jobs and training are available locally. It will also support local businesses with recruitment and selection of staff and advice about training with the Colleges Employer Training team.

Eastbourne Works will put employers in touch with potential employees. It gives the people of Eastbourne and the surrounding area advice on the high street so they can improve their skills and get employment opportunities that will lead to proper jobs. This will increase local employment and apprenticeships.

"During the first two weeks alone we have seen over 50 people." said Dave Hinton, the Coordinator at Eastbourne Works. Chris Platt from Polegate has already used the service from Eastbourne Works to get himself a job trial with a local telecommunications company.

David Hinton and Chris Platt

Chris Platt had been on job seekers allowance for the last 6 months when he walked past the shop last week. He met with Dave and a couple of employers. They asked Chris to attend a job trial which could lead onto an apprenticeship. "It is very exciting having almost given up on finding work. My advice would be if you live in the Eastbourne area to get down and have a chat with Dave.” said Chris.

Eastbourne Works is on 5 Langney Road, Eastbourne. It is open from 9am to 5pm everyday and until 7pm on a Wednesdays. It also opens on Saturday mornings from 9.30am to 12.30pm.

Find out more on the Eastbourne Works website

English students are reviewers for BBC Radio 4 Bookclub

Four of our English A Level literature students from Sussex Downs College in Lewes took part in a recording for Radio 4 Bookclub in London recently.  The discussion was with the author William Fiennes and the book was The Music Room.

Students Julia Christmas (17) a previous Downlands Community pupil from Hurstpierpoint, Ryan Bourne (16) a previous Ringmer Community College pupil, Rosie Nicholls (18) a previous Beacon Community College pupil from Groombridge and Maddie Phillips (18) a previous St Pauls pupil from Plumpton Green took part in the discussion.

Ryan Bourne, Julia Christmas, Maddie Phillips and Rosie Nicholls at the BBC for the recording of The Bookclub with author William Fiennes

“All of the students are applying to study English Literature at University. They asked some extremely intelligent and articulate questions to the author.” said Mark Chutter, English Literature Co-ordinator at Lewes 6th Form College.

If you would like to listen to the show with our students and William Fiennes the programme will be broadcast on Radio 4 on Sunday 3 July at 4pm and again on Thursday 7 July at 4pm. It will also be available on BBC iplayer and podcast that week.

See all English and Literature courses available at Sussex Downs College