‘Resilient’ Club Doncaster Sports College students celebrate end of challenging academic year with sports dinner and awards ceremony.
Students at Club Doncaster Sports College were welcomed to the Eco-Power Stadium Legends Lounge on Tuesday night where they celebrated the end of the 2020/21 academic year with a sports dinner and awards ceremony.
Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, students have enjoyed a year in which they have been studying both in class and at home. This hybrid approach has seen captivating digital learning and online initiatives help the college achieve an ‘outstanding’ 97.7% student retention rate.
Adi Turnpenny, principal at Club Doncaster Sports College, has praised the commitment of students and creative thinking of staff to make the year a success.
Adi said: ‘We are delighted with how we have adapted in an extraordinary year to continue to offer our students the best possible education.
“The commitment, creative thinking and skill of our staff has shone through in the most challenging of circumstances for everyone. I would like to thank all the parents for their support and communication in helping us achieve this.”
“The people who deserve huge credit though are the students. They have been motivated, resilient and focussed throughout and have continued to produce excellent work both remotely and in college. These qualities will stand them in good stead for the future and we are proud of them all.”
The awards ceremony was the first opportunity that the students have had to celebrate their achievements as a group since lockdown restrictions were imposed at the start of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Ebonie Haver, an active IQ Level 2 student, said: “Throughout this year the Sports College staff have gone above and beyond to make the courses an enjoyable experience. The lessons were always interesting and challenging in the classroom and online and as the restrictions started to lift, we got the chance to play Varsity on the Eco-Power Stadium pitch which was a dream come true.
“Tonight has just topped off an amazing two years with the college, it’s been so good to see students honoured for their sporting and academic achievements and to do that together as a group has been special.”
Throughout the year, students enjoyed a number of initiatives such as a virtual trip to London to celebrate Doncaster Rovers’ cup fixture with West Ham, guest lecturers from Royal Marine Commando Chef Mike Beaton and former Emmerdale actress Gemma Oaten, and were also given the chance to support the Doncaster community with NCS social action.
Josh Halls, a BTEC Level 3 Sport student at the College, said: “The time I have spent at the college has been the best 2 years of my life, I’ve met so many people who I consider now to be my best friends, and we’ve managed to turn a global pandemic into a chance to increase the unity between the class as a whole.
“I would recommend the sports college to anyone as it help revitalise my chances of higher education to the point where I got accepted into every university I applied for, and it has helped develop my confidence and self esteem so that I felt confident in more situations surrounding my everyday life.”
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