Lights, camera, interview! Sutton creative media learners take centre stage with trust chief
Learners from Sutton’s ATTFE College’s EVOLVE creative media programme recently enjoyed a unique opportunity to put their developing media skills into practice when they interviewed Mark McCourt, chief executive of the Academy Transformation Trust.
Mr McCourt was on to the college and Sutton-based Takeover Radio 106.9FM.
The learners took ownership of the entire interview process, from researching and preparing thoughtful questions to conducting the interview and managing the production environment.
The experience provided a valuable insight into professional media practice while enabling learners to build confidence, communication skills, and industry-relevant experience.
Demonstrating professionalism beyond their years, learners engaged the CEO in conversation about education, leadership, opportunities for young people, and the future of learning across the trust.
The session highlighted the creativity, curiosity, and growing technical abilities of the EVOLVE creative media cohort.
The activity reflects the college's commitment to providing real-world learning experiences that help learners develop the skills and confidence needed for future education, employment, and training opportunities.
Ken Mead, media tutor, said: “Experiences like this are invaluable for our learners.
“Preparing for and conducting a professional interview allows young people to apply classroom learning in a meaningful way while developing confidence, teamwork, communication, and critical thinking skills.
"We are incredibly proud of how professionally they represented themselves and the college.”
ATTFE College’s EVOLVE provision is designed to provide engaging, learner-centred opportunities that support personal growth, skills development, and progression.
The programme offers practical, firsthand learning experiences that empower young people to re-engage with education, build resilience, and develop the confidence needed to succeed in education, employment, and life.
EVOLVE combines specialist training, life skills development, creative learning opportunities, and personalised support within a nurturing and inclusive environment.
Creative media learners regularly gain experience using industry-standard equipment and techniques, developing skills in content creation, filming, recording, interviewing, and digital media production.
Such opportunities help learners build portfolios of work while experiencing authentic workplace scenarios that prepare them for careers in the creative industries.
Evidence of these practical learning experiences can be seen through EVOLVE’s media projects and learner-led productions.
The visit by Mr McCourt provided another memorable example of ATTFE College’s mission to transform lives through education, creating opportunities for learners to highlight their talents, discover their potential, and develop skills for life.