Member Bio
We are proud to be regarded as one of the top FE colleges in the UK and have won a Beacon Award from the Association of Colleges for initiatives to enhance the mental health, wellbeing and welfare as well as being named “Employer of the year” at the Lloyds Bank National Business Awards. We are only 1 of 2 SEND Centres for Excellence in the whole of the UK with outstanding provision for learners of all ages with additional needs.
Furthermore, we teach a range of higher education courses through University Centre Weston, in partnership with University of West of England and Bath University offering over 50 different courses,
Both in FE and HE, we offer apprenticeships from intermediate to degree-level and provide education in over 20 prisons across the South West.
Our Creative Arts and Media Faculty offer routes into an exciting and varied industry and our Digital Faculty is thriving. We want to create career options for our students in the arts (producers, directors, product, fashion and theatre, performance arts, theatre make up, live events technicians, AV & Broadcast stars, Graphic Designers, Musicians and more!
Our digital students look to gain work in IT Engineering, Web Design, UX, Gaming, E-Sports and Software and Data Development or analysis.
Key People
Jade Hicks
Dean of Faculty for Creative Arts. I am a passionate practitioner and leader with a proven track record in delivering an excellent standard of management. As an adaptive, resolute and strategic leader my style has developed though the process of self-reflection. A style and approach, that at the heart focuses on driving a team that celebrates courage, grit, determination, efforts and mistakes. As Dean of Faculty for the Creative Arts FE provision,; I have experience in defining and implementing the shared values and vision of a company whilst being able to directly influence and lead high quality TLA within a Performing Arts and Music Performance and Production FE and HE department. With a record of research and personal interest in Arts Education I seek to develop, realise and inspire young people to achieve their full potential through the creation of unique, vocational, challenging and holistic curriculum design and educational opportunities.
Sylvia Lane
As Assistant Dean to Creative Arts in noth FE and HE, I am committed to working with businesses who want to invest in our students. Throughout many years of working in a variety of Performing Arts jobs all over the world I acquired a substantial and diverse professional portfolio and contacts within the industry, and also gained a variety of interdisciplinary and leadership skills. My experiences range from touring with high profile theatre productions and Musical Theatre shows (including residencies in the USA, Australia and South Africa), to worldwide cruise ship contracts as a singer/dancer/performer and company manager. After years of touring, I obtained a more academic portfolio and achieved teaching qualifications for Further and Higher Education, including a MA in Professional Practice in Higher Education. Furthermore, I am involved in new theatre creations through virtual and digital artistic research collaborations, particularly in the field of Telematics Networked Performance, which I am currently disseminating towards my PhD thesis.
Joe Abdulgani
Assistant Principal of Higher Education and Digital Curriculum for Weston College | AdvancedHE Senior Fellow (SFHEA) | TEF GOLD Joe is a highly gifted inspirational Lecturer who develops outstanding opportunities for learning. His enthusiasm and passion for his subject, together with his innovative teaching and learning strategies, ensures that learners are always highly engaged in his sessions. Joe has bought fresh new ideas into the faculty and constantly finds new ways to deliver subjects in ways that fascinate and enthuse learners. He has high expectations of both learners and his team alike and inspires both to reach their full potential inside and outside of the classroom. He encourages staff to aim high and 78% of his learners exceed the grades that were expected of them. But perhaps the most important aspect is that students love his lessons! One grateful student simply stated that “he is EPIC”. Teaching Awards judges agreed and have awarded this gifted teacher a prestigious Pearson Silver Teaching Award.
Sean Shearing
I am the Operations Manager for Digital and Computing here at Weston College while overseeing new developments in Bristol. I have helped manage and create the Digital and Technology Solutions Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship which has been successfully running and growing for the past 5 years. Grade 1 Lecturer specialising in teaching software development Previously a Software Developer specialising in C#/ASP.Net applications with experience in C++, Java and others.
Lynsey McKinstry
Positioned in the very talented Business Growth Team at Weston College forging pathways from college to career. I work across the South West and wider area within an incredible team that has a clear vision for the future of the college through employer engagement activity. We want to work with employers that are looking for talent pipeline support, training opportunities and to be part of one of the best FE and HE colleges in the UK.