Join Us: Membership
To join Plymouth YMCA simply fill out our membership form and return it to any centre.
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FREE tASTER cOURSES & fREE mENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID COURSES! SEE BELOW-
Discovery College
Discovery College attracts students from Plymouth and surrounding areas because it provides an adult learning environment that is free from the restrictions of old school teaching styles. Here, from the outset, the team treats students like mature individuals. Our courses are not based on pass/fail, and therefore enormous mutual respect grows out of the efforts our students and their teachers apply to the course content. This enables learning far beyond the classroom.
If you have doubts about completing another year at school, or struggle in your traditional school environment, perhaps we can meet your needs. Our aim is to support student success. We believe the best education combines high academic teaching standards with sound moral guidance. Education should provide holistic opportunities for varied success. The College prepares young people for futures where they can thrive in their chosen career paths and contribute positively to society.
Our students put themselves forward in situations they never thought possible, and in so doing create meaningful learning.
We create an environment where our students feel safe to challenge their learning, to question and explore the subject matter, and to stretch the boundaries of their imagination.
At Discovery College we believe learning should be fun, that students should feel supported and safe, and that all students should experience success. The Discovery College teams works incredibly hard to ensure our students reach these achievements.
"Student achievement is high and a high proportion progress to University. This is a Centre demonstrating an excellent provision, aimed at raising the aspirations and achievements of alllearners." Edexcel Review 2012
"Exceptionally well-organised programme delivery and assessment structures. Strong pastoral support for all learners with their programme and individual needs. Excellent links to sports clubs and partner schools provide an added dimension to the provision." Edexcel Review 2012
"The centre almost gives the feeling of a family run business where all the staff work as a tight-knit team regardless of status within the organisation. All of the students are known on a first name basis and their identified learning needs are known by all." Edexcel Review 2011
At Discovery College learning is fresh and adventurous. We move beyond the old fashioned, formal methods of assessments. Here there are NO EXAMS. Instead, they have been replaced by a regular flow of assignments and practical based tasks.
"...things were going so bad that I was thrown out of school in year 9...Things turned around when I enrolled on the BTEC Sports course at Discovery College. I passed my Level 2 ...obtaining a Merit and began to feel better as a person; and determined to get somewhere in life. That’s when I found Discovery College offered the Level 3 Plymouth Argyle Community Education Programme...I was over-the-moon to complete the course with a Distinction/Merit." Dan Johns, Student 2011
Our partnerships with professional sports clubs include Plymouth Argyle Football Club, Plymouth Albion Rugby Football Club, Boringdon Park Golf Club, and Plymouth Raiders Basketball Club. These combine elite coaching with outstanding educational courses to provide our students with a great method of obtaining university placements and scholarships overseas.
Discovery College is a very special place. Start your unique journey of ‘learning beyond the classroom’ and let us help you to achieve your full potential.
Discovery college prospectus
For a closer look at the student experience click here
Discovery College BTEC COURSES
Young people between 16-19 years of age looking to pursue a future in Public Service or Sport can study (click for details):
- BTEC 1st Diploma in Sport Level 2
- BTEC Extended Diploma in Sport Level 3
- BTEC 1st Diploma in Public Services Level 2
- BTEC Extended Diploma in Public Services Level 3
Discovery College Pro-sport Scholarship Programmes
For students with special interests and sport specific skills the College also offers scholarship programmes linked with local professional sports clubs (click for details).
- Boringdon Park Golf Scholarship Programme Level 3
- Plymouth Albion Rugby Football Club Scholarship Programme Level 3
- Plymouth Raiders Scholarship Programme Level 3
For more information on our BTEC courses please telephone Nicole Jeffery on 01752 761012 or email nicole.j@plymouthymca.co.uk
Community Learning
We provide a variety of Adult Learning courses for anyone over 16 years of age:
- Certificate in Adult Literacy and Numeracy - Awarding Body OCR
- Certificate in IT (various levels) - Awarding Body OCR
- Certificate in Text Processing (various levels) - Awading Body OCR
- Level 2&3 Diploma for the Children’s and Young Peoples Workforce (Childcare)
- Introductory Programmes (provides a step back into learning; options include child care, customer service, business administration, leisure, fitness and youth work).
- Mental Health First Aid - a 12 hour programme aimed at improving both awareness and understanding of mental ill-health and reducing discrimination.
Plymouth YMCA Access Bursary Fund
This is a new scheme to help young people who are facing financial hardship to stay in full-time education. We have designed this scheme, with support from Plymouth Adult and Community Learning Service (PACLS) and Plymouth City Council (PCC), in response to the Government’s decision to close its Education Maintenance Allowance scheme and some of the other learner support funds. The funding for this scheme is provided by the Young People’s Learning Agency (YPLA).
For further information click here; or if you are a PLYMOUTH YMCA student and want to apply for this fund please contact Sharron Agambar on 01752 774570.
Free five week taster courses
Step back into learning with Plymouth YMCA and the Community Learning team!
- Monday, 7th November to 5th December, 9:30-11:30am Fun with Numbers
- Tuesday, 8th November to 6th December, 9:30-11:30am Communication and Teamwork
- Wednesday, 9th November to 7th December, 9:30-11:30am Fun Fitness
All of these courses are FREE OF CHARGE.
To book a place or for further information please contact Sharron or Jackie on 01752 774570.
First Aid Courses
If you wish to do a First Aid Course then we have a number of Open access courses throughout the year, if you are a business and wish to have a group of people trained then it may be better to arrange a course at your venue:
- Emergency Response First Aid (1/2 day) £25
- Emergency First Aid At Work Certificate (1 day) £45
- First Aid at Work Certificate (3 day) £140
- Automated External Defibrillation (1 day) £45
- Paediatric First Aid (2 day) £90.
For more information on our First Aid Training please email first.aid@plymouthymca.co.uk
Mental Health Courses
Mental Health Awareness (MHFA Lite) £25
MHFA Lite offers an introduction to mental health and mental health issues and is intended to introduce the full MHFA course.
The aim of MHFA Lite is to enable participants to:
- gain a wider understanding, for themselves and others, of some issues surrounding mental health
- work more effectively with people living with mental health problems
- understand the aims of the full MHFA course
- experience a taste of what the full MHFA course content.
At the end of the course participants should be able to:
- identify the discrimination surrounding mental health problems
- define mental health and some mental health problems
- relate to people's experiences
- help support people with mental health problems
- look after their own mental health.
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) £90
Mental Health Affects Us All
The personal and financial cost of mental health problems is huge – in one year alone they cost UK businesses nearly £26 billion.*
With one in four British adults experiencing at least one diagnosable problem in any one year, mental health is not something any of us can afford to ignore.**
*The Sainsbury Centre for Medical Health, Mental Health at Work (2007)
**The Office for National Statistics Psychiatric Morbidity Report (2001)
How You Can Help
Early intervention can help slow down or stop a mental health problem and lead to a faster recovery. Taught over 12 hours, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) courses will teach you to:
- Spot the early signs of a mental health problem
- Feel confident helping someone experiencing a problem
- Provide help on a first aid basis
- Help prevent someone from hurting themselves or others
- Help stop a mental illness from getting worse
- Help someone recover faster
- Guide someone towards the right support
- Reduce the stigma of mental health problems.
For more information on our Mental Health Training please email mental.health@plymouthymca.co.uk