As part of our Raising Aspirations programme, a group of Year 10 and 11 students visited South Staffordshire College Rodbaston to explore the college campus and look at post-16 education options.
The students, led by Mrs Stubbs and Ms Ptolomey, learned about various qualifications on offer, and a tour took in various parts of the site where these courses are delivered. Qualifications include those in Agriculture, Animal Care, Zoo Keeping, Farming, Arboriculture, Equine Management, Horticulture and Countryside Management. Rodbaston also offer courses for the automative, plumbing and construction trades, as well as gas engineering. Public Services is another course offering, new this year.
Rodbaston campus includes a working farm (a 180-hectare site), animal care zones (such as dog grooming), an equine centre and specialised trade workshops. This includes a Net Zero Energy Training Centre. Rodbaston provides hands-on training, enhancing students’ employability upon graduation, and also apprenticeship programs, allowing students to earn while they learn and gaining job-specific skills taught by professionals.
The trip is aimed at enabling students to understand their options and to give them the opportunity to picture themselves in a different setting. This potentially is an exciting progression for some of our students when they leave The Friary.
Mrs Stubbs said: “Our students really enjoyed the experience, especially the very different setting that Rodbaston represents. The visit made students appreciate the real-life, hands-on skills needed to complete the variety of courses which Rodbaston has to offer.” She added: “The group did the Friary proud in acting maturely, displaying good manners and taking an active interest in the information delivered.”
Mr Drury, Headteacher, added: “Whilst our Sixth Form is the most popular route for our students, we’re active in supporting all students to whatever destination best suits their qualifications and aspirations. Advice and guidance is given to students looking at colleges, apprenticeships, employment and gap years. We aim for as smooth a transition as possible for our students into their working and adult lives.”
Rodbaston’s Open Day is Saturday 16th May 2026, 10am until 1pm.
More information about Rodbaston can be found here.
