RNN’s 2025 in Review
It’s that time of year again where timelines and social media feeds are filled with best bits, personal reflections and a fair few Spotify Wrapped playlists.
So as we wrap up the year and lock the campus doors for Christmas break, here’s a look back on some of the memorable moments and academic achievements our staff and students have had at RNN Group in 2025.
January and February
North Notts College
The beginning of the year marked an exciting new chapter for North Notts College with the official launch of our new £4 million T Level centre. T level learners now have access to some amazing workspaces including an early years setting, simulation health ward, digital suite, and joinery workshop. It’s also home to a new-look hair and beauty salon that’s open to the public, students and staff.
Rotherham College
Over at Rotherham College, our creative pathways learners started the year strong with two exhibitions. Fashion students hosted Killer Fashion at Wentworth Woodhouse with some of their avant-garde creations bringing glamour to the stately home. They then collaborated with art, graphics, media and music students to present a FREDIE exhibition based on fairness and diversity.
And it was also time to celebrate our apprentices with the annual apprentice awards at The Wharncliffe in conjunction with National Apprenticeship Week. Twelves students won awards on the night, as well as some of our employer partners. The Feofees also made a special presentation of their £750 apprenticeship bursary to engineering apprentice, Evan South.
March and April
Hair and Beauty Salons
As spring arrived, it was a fresh start for our College salons at Rotherham and Worksop with a rebrand; they’re now known as Innovate S65 and Innovate S81 but still offer the same exceptional service for unbelievably affordable prices.
The launch of Rotherham College’s facilities
We also celebrated the official launch of the new £4 million construction centre and digital suite at our Rotherham campus which was opened by Deputy Lieutenant for Rotherham, Lieutenant Colonel Mac McPherson. Visitors had a tour of the fantastic two-storey building which has multi-use bays for our joinery, plumbing, bricklaying and electrical installation learners to practice their skills in.
Intercollege competition winners
The celebrations continued as we were crowned winners of the intercollege competition against colleges from Grimsby, Doncaster and North Lindsey. Learners from hair and beauty, catering, construction and performing arts helped us cinch the win with 53 points, beating last year’s record.
Matrix accreditation
We were also pleased to retain the Matrix accreditation for another year following a two-day visit. The Matrix report highlighted our inspirational leadership, exceptional wraparound support for learners, and how students speak highly of curriculum staff.
Turing scheme trip to Bali
April saw some of our level 3 learners head off on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Bali as part of the Turing scheme. Over the two-week visit, they did everything from traditional printmaking and mask painting workshops to exploring sustainable farming methods at the Tegalalang Rice Terrace and Kumulilir Coffee Plantation.
In the community
Back in Blighty, some of our students worked with Esh Construction to create a new serenity garden for Lighthouse Homes, a charity that supports people who are homeless and have a history of addiction. Learners volunteered their time to upcycle benches, instal sleepers, lay paving and create a sustainable green space at their Westgate hostel.
Our first community Easter festival
And we opened the doors of our Dearne Valley campus to the public with our first community Easter festival. The free event included an interactive egg hunt, a lively dog show, animal handling experiences, esports demos and a bustling craft and gift market.
May and June
The early summer term saw students from across the Group recognised for their achievements.
Talented Esports students
A team of esports students raced their way to victory in the Student Racing League Split 2 Finals. The competition, organised by the renowned Williams Racing Formula 1 team down in Oxfordshire, saw Henry, Wayne and Sam put their virtual driving skills to the test.
Success at the SkillsBuild competition
We had triple success at the SkillsBuild regional competitions organised by the Construction Industry Training Board. North Notts apprentices Lewis Hodkin and Alfie Waldock claimed first place in the bricklaying and carpentry categories, while Matt Lee took second place in architectural joinery.
Awards
Graphic design degree student, Rebecca Foster, was named Inspirational Individual at Sheffield Hallam University’s Inspirational Student Awards. While the RNN Group was a finalist at the national Quality Professionals Awards in the Quality Improvement Team of the Year category.
We were also proud to see media makeup graduate, Jake Moon, crowned winner of BBC’s Glow Up season 7.
Then it was time to celebrate our creative pathways learners with their final showcase for the 2024-25 academic year. Students from art, fashion and media transformed the Eastwood Building into a vibrant gallery space, while our performing arts and music students did live performances in the theatre and courtyard.
July and August
Students and staff were in for a busy summer as we worked towards the end of the academic year.
Student’s projects
Art and graphic students worked on a travel-themed project for the 200th anniversary of the passenger railway, creating posters inspired by Yorkshire’s coastal towns. While learners on the Pathways to Joinery course made bird boxes to donate to Thornberry Animal Sanctuary and Manvers Lake.
Flex student’s sports day
Our FLEX students enjoyed a sports day at Dearne Valley College where learners from all three campuses joined in the fun and friendly competition.
The Great Staff Bake Off
Staff at Dearne Valley College enjoyed some friendly competition of their own with The Great Staff Bake Off. Teams from motor vehicle, health, English and maths, and learning support departments competed in a series of baking challenges. The overall winners were our fabulous health team, nicknamed Muffin But Care.
Staff wellbeing day
We also organised a whole staff wellbeing day at Dearne Valley. Our lecturers and student support staff, admin and business colleagues, and management team from across the RNN Group took part in a range of activities from gardening and wellbeing walks to cake decorating and paper crafts. There was also self-defence, meditation and gym classes, plus information on men and women’s health.
Summer festival
Then it was time to celebrate with the community with our big summer festival at Dearne Valley. As well as animal encounters, a dog show, bouncy castle, low ropes sessions and car valeting for the public to enjoy, it was also chance to give out some student awards to end the academic year.
Officially licensed organisation for The Duke of Edinburgh Award
Over summer break, we also had the exciting news that we had officially become a licensed organisation for The Duke of Edinburgh award. This means our learners can now work toward bronze, silver or gold certification with us.
September and October
It was back to College in September for hundreds of learners across all our sites.
Together at Every Step partnership
We started the new academic year with a new partnership with Weston Park Cancer Charity. As part of the Together at Every Step project, we’re working together to raise awareness of cancer on campus with on-site health checks in their Big Purple Bus. The charity is also offering careers advice and volunteering opportunities, as well as their accumulator challenge for students to use their entrepreneurial and creative brains to turn £10 into as much money as possible for the charity.
Sustainability project
Our fashion students from Rotherham College launched their sustainability project where they encouraged other learners to add second-hand and repurposed materials to their starter garment dress.
Momentous Football Academy
Over at Dearne Valley College, our Momentous Football Academy was presented with its first ECFA Star award from the English College Football Association to recognise how the programme provides opportunities to all students, regardless of their timetable or course. We’re aiming to achieve all three stars by increasing our recreational football offer, strengthening our performance pathways, and creating more non-player opportunities.
Construction competition winners
And at North Notts College, three teams competed in the construction lifting equipment challenge at Rethink Futures where they had to design, build, and test a prototype lifting device. The T Level in Engineering group emerged victorious, bringing home the trophy for North Notts College.
Plug and Play Festival
As part of Rotherham’s Children’s Capital of Culture, some of our creative pathways students took part in events across half term, including the Plug and Play Festival and Arts at the Minster.
Worksop’s Got Talent and the Autumn Memory Walk
We were also proud to sponsor Worksop’s Got Talent and be the lead sponsor the Autumn Memory Walk at Manvers Lake which raised money for Rotherham Hospital and Community Charity.
Logistics Training Centre opens
In October we officially opened our new Logistics and Training Hub over in Rotherham. The old construction centre on Rawmarsh Road has been turned into a forklift truck training centre to bring more manual handling and logistics training opportunities to South Yorkshire.
Pick your own pumpkin event
And to finish off the autumn term, we hosted our first every Pick Your Own Pumpkin event at Dearne Valley, welcoming families from across South Yorkshire for some seasonal (and muddy) fun.
November and December
As we moved towards the end of the year, our learners were kept busy with lots of exciting projects and placements.
Students out in the community
T Level construction students built some animal housing units and a new learning environment for Valley Wildlife which is based at Gulliver’s Valley Resort. Hairdressing and media make-up learners worked on the famous Wickersley School panto which this year was Beauty and the Beast. And aspiring entrepreneurs on the T Level in business course at North Notts College went from the classroom to the boardroom with a Dragon’s Den challenge hosted by The Protocol Group.
More competitions
North Notts construction student Louis Smith won the Tillery Douglas Quantity Surveying Challenge which gained him a new set of bricklaying tools. While five learners competed in the World Skills UK national finals in Cardiff.
Graduation
And it was time to celebrate our higher education learners with our annual graduation ceremony at the AESSEAL New York Stadium. It was wonderful to see so many graduates surrounded by their proud family and friends.
The season of good will
As thoughts turned to Christmas, many of our students organised their own festivities and gave back to the community for the season of goodwill.
We collaborated with Next to run workshops on campus where we made bonding hearts that were donated to Rotherham Hospital’s neonatal ward.
Our art and fashion students held a pop-up shop at Sheffield’s Merchant’s House where they raised money for Cancer Research.
Beauty students from Rotherham College did a hamper raffle in the salon to raise money for Rotherham Hospice.
Our engineering department volunteered with Rain Rescue by creating a Christmas display for a doggy photoshoot, and also had a stall at Rotherham Hospital to raise money for their dementia appeal.
To finish off the year, we held our first ever Christmas event at Dearne Valley College for the community. There was a visit from Santa and his elf with a gift for all children on the nice list and a special shout out to our motor vehicle students who made Santa’s sleigh! Our learners also offered animal encounters, e-sports and construction competitions, and the FLEX and health departments organised a festive marketplace in the canteen.
We’re proud of everything our students and staff have achieved this year and look forward to all that’s to come in 2026.
Wishing you all merry Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year!