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Creative Media student’s anti-litter campaign wins industry Snapchat advertising competition

A Creative Media student’s proposed Snapchat campaign urging people to reduce litter has won a national competition run by the UK’s leading body for advertising professionals.

Angela Nogales, 20, will see her creative idea turned into an actual Snapchat advert after she came first in the challenge set by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA).

Creative Media Level 3 Diploma students at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) were encouraged to enter during a visit to global advertising agency M&C Saatchi Group.

They were invited to the company’s UK head office in Westminster as part of the IPA’s Advertising Unlocked programme, which sees UK agencies join forces for a nationwide careers open day.

Angela’s entry included background research on littering and solutions to the problem before going on to explain how her Snapchat campaign would encourage people to take action.

She said: “The idea for the campaign came from the research I did about this important topic and the Snapchat app. Firstly, I wanted to acknowledge the problem and what we can do to solve it., and then I looked at who the target audience was and what content would engage with them.

“I came up with an idea to create short, visual and dynamic information in a format the audience was familiar with to form an active community on Snapchat. I wanted to motivate them in a personal way by making them remember each one of us can do something small to make a big difference.”  

Advertising Unlocked introduces students to career options in the industry with agencies running practical activities from workshops and interactive discussions to tours and creative challenges.

Bethan Neil, Senior Marketing Executive, Diversity and Effectiveness, at IPA, said the competition judges were “thoroughly impressed” by Angela’s campaign idea.

Referring to the judges’ comments, she added: “Your research is interesting, concise and clearly fed into your idea. You’ve constructed a clear narrative laying out the problem, the solution and how creatively you could help deliver that solution.

“You’ve answered the brief well, helping to genuinely change behaviour. Some of your ideas are more tactical which is great to see, highlighting the problems, but some of them are more creative and are a proper innovative use of Snapchat features, which is exactly what we wanted to see.”

M&C Saatchi Group was founded in 1995 and has operations spanning 23 countries including major hubs in the UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia.

During the visit, students heard about the industry from Chief Creative Officer Ben Golik before taking part in a two-hour workshop where they worked on a real creative brief.

They were also given a tour of the building before meeting representatives from across the sector at a speed networking event including those working in strategy and production.

Natasha Amegbe, Lecturer in Creative Media and Computing, said: “The students were thrilled to have the chance to visit a globally renowned creative agency and network with people already working in the advertising sector.

“This was also a fantastic opportunity for our students to link what they have learnt in the classroom to actual careers by working on an actual brief. They received excellent feedback from staff at the agency who were very impressed with their ideas, and all left feeling very inspired.”

CONEL is continuing to work with M&C Saatchi as part of the Advertising Unlocked programme with the agency providing students with live briefs and giving feedback on their work.

Find out more and apply here for Digital Media and Creative Computing courses here.

Students join Spurs and England football legend Jermain Defoe for launch of his new podcast

Students joined former Tottenham Hotspur and England legend Jermain Defoe as he launched his new BBC podcast on his quest to be become a football manager.

The ex-striker spoke to students from the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) about the podcast called Outside The Box for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds on a visit to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Around 20 Creative Media Production and Music diploma students attended the talk, which was part of a podcast and social media masterclass run by the BBC Young Reporter Scheme.

Jermain made 363 appearances for Spurs and scored 143 goals – making him the club’s sixth highest goal scorer – and won 57 senior caps for England and scored 20 goals.

He retired from playing professionally while at Sunderland in March 2022 and returned to Tottenham as a Club Ambassador and Academy Coach in the summer.

Jermain said: “Management was on my mind towards the end of my career. You get to that stage where you start to think realistically about how long am I going to play for and what will I do next?

“I’d started back at Tottenham as a coach at the academy when this opportunity came about. I’ve done a bit of media and a few podcasts and enjoyed being interviewed, but in terms of actually having my own podcast, that was something completely different.

“The concept was such a good idea. I thought I can go round and speak to managers I played for and pick their brain about what it takes to be a manager, the ups and downs, and what to expect. I’ve enjoyed it to be honest, it’s been really good.”

James Peacock, Managing Director of production company Folding Pocket, which made Outside The Box, and Junior Producer Joseph Sam, explained the process of making a podcast and gave students advice on their productions.

BBC Sport Presenter Liam Loftus, who interviewed Jermain, was later joined by Producer Olivia Portas. Both were in Qatar to cover the FIFA World Cup and shared their tips on filming and creating social media posts and reels.

Creative Media Production student Teti Purwanti, 47, said: “I’m a Spurs fan and it was amazing to meet Jermain Defoe in person and hear about his new podcast and career.

“It was great to have chance to learn more about podcasting and hear from people who work in the media about how they started. I’ve gained so much knowledge about how to create podcasts from coming up with ideas and scripting to presenting and recording. I made a podcast while at college, and it’s really inspired me to make more in the future.”

Daniela-Elena Moise, 20, who is studying the same course, said: “My ambition is to work in social media for a company or as an influencer. I began using it when I was young and started gaining followers, and that really motivated me to think I would like a career in social media one day.

“It was good to learn more about how you can really engage people on social media and potentially go viral. A lot depends on what you post, it can be something funny, sad or motivational. There’s no limits. Hearing from other people how they got there was really inspiring and gives you confidence to achieve your dreams.”

The students were also given a tour of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, courtesy of the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, where they had the chance to see the club’s trophies, visit the players’ dressing rooms and the press room, walk up the tunnel, stand pitch side and sit in the dugout.

Find out more and apply for Creative Media here and Music courses here.

Make 2023 the year for a new career on our FREE online courses

Capital City College Group (CCCG) runs an extensive range of FREE short courses that can be the first steps towards furthering your education or a new career.

Many of these courses are available online, giving you the flexibility to gain or develop your skills at your own pace from the comfort of your own home or while on the move, which can be ideal if you are employed, have children or other responsibilities.

With no sign of the current cost of living crisis ending soon, online learning can save you money on travel costs. They can also be beneficial to the disabled who may struggle to attend college.

We began running FREE courses up to Level 2 regardless of age or income in 2018.

Currently, three quarters of those completing our FREE short courses go on to full-time education while a fifth enter paid employment.

Here’s 10 of our FREE online short courses:

Learn to produce business documents and manage information including storing, retrieving and archiving. Understand business communications and develop teamworking and customer service skills.

Discover how to bring your business idea to life including how to make your pitch, marketing, cashflow forecasting and financing, networking and selling. Gain practical advice and resources to help your venture succeed.

Develop your team leadership skills to help you provide better guidance, direction and instruction. Gain the skills needed to effectively manage and motivate employees.

Learn how to create social media marketing plans to promote products and services. Understand different audiences and how social media can be used to engage with them.

Get the skills needed to be a Cisco certified engineer. Learn the technical knowhow to provide online support and maintenance of Cisco routers, switches and operating systems.

Gain an understanding of IT security threats and the methods used to protect against them including data encryption and cryptographic techniques. Develop your knowledge of the legal requirements affecting security of IT systems.

Get the skills and the recognised qualification needed to apply for a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) Card to work on a construction site, including risk assessment and safety when manual handling, working at height and around machinery.

The UK has faced many challenges since leaving the European Union. Learn about the main areas of legislation for importing and exporting of goods in Europe and the challenges facing the logistics industry.

Gain an introduction to skills and approaches used in counselling for everyday life and work. This qualification covers counselling theories, diversity and ethics and counselling skills for personal development.

Gain an awareness of issues surrounding equality and diversity in the workplace, society and the community. Learn about discrimination and legislation to ensure people of all backgrounds are treated fairly and with dignity and respect.

Tutors on all our free short online courses will provide workbooks and any assessments online. Students need their own PC or laptop with internet access.

See all our FREE short courses and book your place here.

Here’s why our students agree with Ofsted that CCCG is ‘Good’

This week Capital City College Group (CCCG) was rated ‘Good’ in its latest Ofsted report.

CCCG comprises City and Islington College, Westminster Kingsway College and the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London, and apprenticeship and training provider Capital City College Training.

Our colleges offer A Levels, T Levels, BTEC and City & Guilds diplomas and certificates, higher education qualifications, Access to Higher Education courses, apprenticeships and many other study programmes.

Read more about our Ofsted report here.

Find out below why our students and apprentices think CCCG is ‘Good’ when it comes to getting the skills, knowledge and experience for university and your future career.

‘You get all the information you need’

“WestKing is the perfect college because of all the support you receive. The college community made me feel very welcome and my teachers are really nice. They’re not on your shoulder all the time and you get all the information you need to learn independently. I feel very comfortable and know if I have an issue, even if it’s outside of college, I can speak to them. They’ve helped me so much, and because of that support I feel more confident about going to university.”

Anastasia Asaeva, Games Design and Animation student at WestKing

‘I couldn’t ask for a better college’

“The teachers and staff at WestKing are friendly and give us all the support we need. They have a lot of experience working in different restaurants and take the time to explain things to make sure we understand. They really want us to improve. The college also has great connections in the industry. I’ve work been on work experience at The Ritz and Lord’s Cricket Ground. It’s amazing to get these kinds of opportunities. I couldn’t ask for a better college. It really is a great place to study.”

Ruzilsa Cardoso, Patisserie and Confectionary student at WestKing

‘Everyone wants to help me’

“I’m glad to have the opportunity to study at CONEL. I came to England from Ukraine seven months ago and this is a real chance for me to improve my knowledge and experience, as well as to find a good job.  I like my classmates, and It’s especially nice that everyone wants to help me as a new student. We have very good teachers who explain and convey information very intelligibly. When my friends ask where I study, I’m happy to talk about CONEL and the opportunities it provides.”

Kostiantyn Lieontiev, Creative Media Production student at CONEL

‘I feel very confident about my future’

“My apprenticeship is very well structured and has given me a good knowledge and understanding of the building industry. I’ve learnt about construction principles and design and gained experience in scanning for property defects on site. The teaching has been really good. My tutor has provided me with the competencies I need to complete for my end-point assessment. He tracks my progress and tells me what areas I need to improve. I feel very confident about my future.”

Omar Khan, Surveying Technician apprentice with CCCT

Find out more about courses and apprenticeship with CCCG and apply here.

Staff and students at Capital City College Group celebrate impressive successful recent Ofsted outcome under new enhanced inspection framework

Capital City College Group (CCCG) – London’s largest Further Education college group – has been awarded a rating of ‘Good’ in its latest Ofsted inspection report.

  • CCCG rated GOOD against all key judgements and provision types
  • CCCG recognised for STRONG contribution to meeting skills needs

CCCG, which comprises City and Islington College, Westminster Kingsway College and the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London, and apprenticeship and training provider Capital City College Training, was inspected from 5-12 December 2022.

Ofsted judged the College to be ‘Good’ in all of its key judgments and provision types. Furthermore, under the new enhanced framework, the colleges contribution to meeting skills needs was acknowledged to be ‘Strong’, the highest rating possible.

CCCG was praised for offering a “rich and challenging curriculum” that students enjoy, which enables them to gain “highly relevant knowledge and skills to help them progress.”

Ofsted recognised that “learners and apprentices, no matter which campus they study at, or which course they are on, have a positive experience.”

The report particularly highlighted that A Level students gained a deep understanding of their subjects and apprentices gained skills they can apply successfully in the workplace.

It further found the high number of adults on English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses improve their communication skills and gain confidence to carry out tasks in their daily lives.

Inspectors also noted students with SEND and other high needs receive very good support from teachers and staff who enable them to access the curriculum and other activities.

Overall, Ofsted found the majority of students successfully completed their courses and there had been an increase in those achieving high grades in GCSE English and maths due to the “notable improvements” in the teaching of these subjects.

Inspectors highlighted students’ “positive attitudes to their learning” and how they are supportive and respectful towards each other and their teachers.

Teachers were recognised for how they plan and teach the curriculum and use their “subject and industry expertise to good effect” to ensure “learners and apprentices gain highly relevant knowledge and skills to help them progress to their next steps”

The report noted teachers’ use of effective assessment methods to identify gaps in knowledge and how they encouraged debate and use IT applications to check students’ understanding.

It added that teachers gave clear and comprehensive explanations, carefully crafted questions and useful and helpful feedback on students’ work to help them make improvements, resulting in their work being either good or better.

College leaders, managers and staff were all praised for working hard to improve the quality of education. Senior management and governors were recognised for having a good understanding of the college group and putting in place clear actions and effective processes that lead to improvement including good, continuous professional development for staff.

Ofsted’s recognition of the colleges’ strong contribution to meeting skills needs was particularly pleasing. It reported leaders and managers work very closely with a range of external stakeholders and these partnerships result in a rich curriculum for learners. It added the curriculum meets skill priorities, supports employers, provides good progression for learners and ensures learners from a range of backgrounds engage in learning.

Kurt Hintz, Executive Principal of CCCG, said: “I am absolutely thrilled that Capital City College Group has been awarded a rating of ‘Good’ in its latest Ofsted report, which recognises the incredible work that goes on across our colleges every day.

“Teachers and staff across all our colleges have all worked exceptionally hard to make sure we attained this excellent result, and I want to thank each of them wholeheartedly for making this happen. It is a tremendous achievement and one they can be rightly proud of.

“Of course, we will not rest on our laurels, and are already looking to build on this success so we can offer an even better education experience to all our learners.”

Find out more about our courses and apprenticeships and apply here.

Former CONEL Hair and Make-up student’s joy at ‘literally painting a smile on people’s faces’

Anna Formela’s talent as a professional make-up artist, face and body painter has seen her work on everything from children’s parties to music videos.

Her artistic flair has seen her create many spectacular colourful and vibrant designs on themes of animals, sci-fi, beauty and horror to more avant-garde and abstract imagery.

Anna, 38, who is from Poland, successfully completed a Hair and Media Make-up Level 2 Diploma at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) in July.

Prior to studying at the college, she had already established her own face-painting and make-up business but admitted it was not a career that she had considered while at school.

She gained a BA (Hons) Public Healthcare and later learnt English in Liverpool before taking part in exchange programmes to New York and Belgium either side of an MA Pedagogy in Poland

“I saw a face-painter at an children’s party in Brussels. She was working with all the colours and making everyone happy. I thought this is such an amazing job, I want to do this job,” said Anna.

Anna returned to the UK and took a one-day course with a face-painting and body art business based in Hackney to increase her product and health and safety knowledge.

“I volunteered to do some face-painting for school fairs. I began to get more and more bookings for kids’ parties, office parties – it just started rolling from there. I always had a job on the side, but there came a point when I thought this is what I want to do full time.”

Anna took a business class and began networking and promoting her work on social media. Through this and word of mouth she went on to gain work for corporate events, festivals, theatres, short films and music videos. She also began teaching her skills.

“When I paint something on someone’s face or body and they look in the mirror and they smile, it’s priceless. I’m getting paid for being creative and making people happy. I’m literally painting a smile on people faces. Even if you’ve turn them into a zombie, they still smile,” she said.

Anna explained it was her love of working with people that turned her attention to make-up rather than working as a lone artist in a studio.

“I think I’ve always liked to paint on something different to paper. I remember my mum being upset when I was a child because I liked to draw on walls and different surfaces,” she said.

“When you paint in a in an art studio, usually it’s just you. It’s the human aspect of what I do and having a living, breathing canvas that gives me the biggest satisfaction.

“I cannot teach creativity, but I can teach techniques. Like everything in life, if you practice enough you’re going to do much better,” said Anna.

Work dried up during the COVID pandemic, but Anna continued teaching online while gaining financial help from a government scheme to provide income support for the self-employed.

She decided to enrol at CONEL to further develop her own skills, particularly in classical make-up and hair, which she had no experience or a recognised qualification in.

“I found there was the potential for more bookings if I was able to do 60s and 20s hair and make-up, and I wanted to add that to my services. The class was very diverse, so we were able to learn from each other and practise on different ages and skin colours,” said Anna.

“My teacher had worked in the industry and was always giving us tips. For example, if you want to work in theatre, then you also need to know about wigs; or during demonstrations she might say, ‘That’s good eyeliner but the foundation is a little off.’”

Anna, who is neurodiverse, also praised her teachers and staff at CONEL for the extra help they gave her with written assignments during her studies.

While at college, Anna came first in the Student Character category of Warpaint Paintopia Makeup Competition 2022 at the United Makeup Artists Expo in Liverpool for her version of the Marvel comic character She-Hulk.

She said: “I went into the competition just wanting to add another piece to my portfolio, and was very surprised to win because I’m the kind of person who is never satisfied with my art.”

Anna’s achievements earned her an Excellence Award from Capital City College Group, which includes CONEL along with City and Islington College, Westminster Kingsway College and Capital City College Training.

Find out more about Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy courses and apply here.

CONEL’s Basketball and Netball Academies net place at Association of Colleges National Championships

Young sports stars at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) are celebrating after qualifying for the Association of Colleges Sport National Championships.

Teams from the college’s Basketball Academy and Netball Academy will represent the capital after winning in the regional finals at Redbridge Sports Centre in Ilford on 8 December.

The basketball team won all their opening round matches to reach the knockout stages and beat Newham College in the final, while the netball team beat all teams in their competition.

Both teams are now preparing for the national tournament at the University of Nottingham in April under the training and guidance of their coaches AJ Roberts and Yamini Bist.

CONEL’s Basketball Academy and Netball Academy, along with the Football Academy, Martial Arts Academy, Athletics Academy and Esports Academy are based at the college’s Enfield Centre.

The academies are open to all students aged 16-18 at the college and include professional coaching, personal fitness, physiotherapy, nutrition and tactical analysis.

Jonathan Silman, Head of School for Sport, Public Services and KS4, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for our Basketball and Netball Academies. The teams and their coaches have worked exceptionally hard and shown great commitment to develop and improve their skills and performance, which has resulted in them qualifying for the National Championships.

“Our Sports Academies at CONEL continue to go from strength to strength and I am hugely proud that the college will be representing London. The basketball and netball teams and their coaches should be proud of what they have accomplished in their sports, especially the team from the Netball Academy, which only started up at the college recently.

“The National Finals will be an even bigger challenge, but if they continue to apply themselves and show the same dedication then they will give themselves every chance of success.”

The AoC Sport National Championships has been running for more than 40 years and is one of the UK’s largest student sporting events with nearly 1,800 students taking part each year.

Ten regional tournaments are held across England and Wales during the autumn term with the top teams in 13 sports qualifying for the National Championships.

Students compete in boccia, badminton, basketball, cross-country running, football, disability football, hockey, indoor cricket, netball, rugby, table tennis, tennis and volleyball.

CONEL’s sports facilities include a floodlit 3G football pitch, grass pitches, sports centre with sports hall, fully equipped gym and changing rooms, which are also available for hire.

Find out more about CONEL’s Sports Academies here.

Institution of Civil Engineers London chair praises ‘excellent’ teaching at Capital City College Group

One of the UK’s most influential women in Engineering and Construction has praised the high standard of teaching after studying with Capital City College Group (CCCG). 

Phebe Mann, who is Chair of the Institution of Civil Engineers London for 2022-23, achieved an overall Distinction on a Plumbing Level 2 Diploma at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London. She also took a short course in Home Repair and Maintenance for Women at Westminster Kingsway College. 

Phebe studied both courses having already established an illustrious engineering and legal career spanning more than three decades and gaining a PhD and four Master’s Degrees. 

She is a chartered engineer, chartered surveyor, chartered construction manager and a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. She was named in the Women in Engineering Society’s Top 50 Women in Engineering 2018.  

She has a PhD Collaborative Design, MSc Bridge Engineering, MSc Construction Management, MA (Cantab) Computer Science, LLM Construction Law and is a qualified barrister. 

Phebe has worked as a Specialist Judge for the Upper Tribunal and General Regulatory Chamber and has completed engineering projects for Westminster City Council and Cambridge County Council, as well as being a Senior Lecturer at the University of Westminster, University of Reading, University of East London and Open University. 

Phebe decided to enrol on both courses to develop her practical construction skills and increase her awareness of the trades to enable her to better address a national shortage of workers in the UK. 

She said: “The students were very enthusiastic in their learning. The lecturers were excellent and devoted to sharing the skills of their professions and we learnt a great deal from the exercises and the feedback they gave us. They also provided high-quality videos of each topic, which we could view repeatedly until we understood the requirements of the course.  

“My lecturer for the plumbing practical class was very patient and empathetic to his students as he explained the steps we needed to take and the health and safety requirements for each task. He had a genuine understanding of his students and adapted his teaching to meet their individual needs.” 

Phebe is passionate about encouraging and inspiring more women to follow in her footsteps and pursue engineering and construction careers. 

She said: “Girls tend to do better than boys in GCSE and A Level results including science, mathematics and computing. These are all important skills for engineers and construction. Women excel in skills such as good communication, innovation, creativity and analysis. They should not be intimidated by working in a male-dominated industry.” 

According to the Engineering UK and there is a shortfall of 173,000 workers in the STEM sector, while the Construction Skills Network says 266,000 new workers are needed by 2026  

“If you are passionate about engineering, discover your potentials, seek opportunities, equip yourself, develop a positive learning attitude and be determined to be successful,” said Phebe. 

“Don’t be discouraged by failures. Every success is built on many failures. Don’t give up if you believe you can do it.” 

Apply now for Engineering courses here and Construction courses here

Capital City College Group set to launch T Levels from September 2023

Capital City College Group (CCCG) will be offering T Levels across its three colleges from September 2023.

Five T Levels will be available at City and Islington College (CANDI), The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) and Westminster Kingsway College (WestKing)

What are T Levels?

T Levels are two-year technical courses taken as an alternative to A Levels, apprenticeships and other 16-19 courses.

A T Level is equivalent to three A levels and comprises a core component and an occupational specialism to give students skills for employment, higher education or apprenticeships.

Students spend 80 per cent of the course at college gaining the skills that employers need. The remaining 20 per cent is on industry placement where they put these skills into action.

They will spend at least 45 days in industry placements to enable them to gain valuable experience in the workplace and give employers an early sight of new talent in their industry.

Why choose a T Level

T Levels have been designed with leading employers and awarding bodies to give students the skills, knowledge and experience they need. More than 250 employers have been involved in their development to give students confidence they will take them to the next level.

What T Levels will be available?

The first T Level courses available at CCCG colleges are listed below with more expected to be added over coming months.

T LEVELOCCUPATIONAL SPECIALISMCOLLEGECENTRE
Digital Production, Design and DevelopmentDigital Production, Design and DevelopmentCANDICentre for Business, Arts and Technology (including Health, Social and Childcare)
Digital Production, Design and DevelopmentDigital Production, Design and DevelopmentWestKingKing’s Cross Centre
Digital Support ServicesDigital SupportCANDICentre for Business, Arts and Technology (including Health, Social and Childcare)
Digital Support ServicesDigital SupportWestKingKing’s Cross Centre
Education and ChildcareEarly Years EducatorCANDICentre for Business, Arts and Technology (including Health, Social and Childcare)
Education and ChildcareEarly Years EducatorCONELTottenham Centre
HealthSupporting the Adult Nursing TeamWestKingKing’s Cross Centre
HealthSupporting the Adult Nursing TeamCONELTottenham Centre
HealthSupporting the Mental Health TeamWestKingKing’s Cross Centre
HealthSupporting the Mental Health TeamCONELTottenham Centre
ScienceLaboratory SciencesCANDICentre for Applied Science

Entry requirements

Entry requirements are the same as for A Levels and many other Level 3 courses, which require five GCSEs at grades 9-4 including English and maths. At least a grade 4 in GCSE Science is also required for science and health related T Levels. 

Grading and certification

Students completing their T Level will receive a certificate which will show their overall grade shown as Pass, Merit, Distinction or Distinction*. 

The certificate will show A*-E grades for the core component, and Pass, Merit, Distinction or Distinction* for the occupational specialism. It will also confirm they have completed the industry placement and met any other mandatory requirements

Students who do not pass all elements of their T Level will get a T Level statement of achievement that will only show the elements they have completed.

Find our more information about T Levels at CCCG and apply here.

Love Island star visits CONEL to raise awareness of eating disorders in new documentary

Love Island star Zara McDermott gave Creative Media and IT students an exclusive screening of her new documentary on eating disorders when she visited the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL).

The social media influencer, who appeared in the fourth series of the ITV2 dating show, shared her experience of making the film, which highlights the huge rise and impact of eating disorders among children and young people.

Zara, 25, acknowledged the impact social media has on young people and their body image, and shared how she had been trolled about her appearance after appearing on Love Island.

“When thousands of people are saying things about how you look it is hard not to believe that. My own fitness and health journey came from wanting to fit into that perfect body image,” she said.

“I’m in a good place now, but when I look back now and I think it’s sad that there is such pressure to look a certain way, and that is amplified so much when you come out of show like Love Island. It’s not natural to experience that. It affected how I feel about myself, and I am sure it would affect a lot of other people too unless they were extremely resilient.”

CONEL was one of five colleges chosen to get an advanced viewing of the documentary called Zara McDermott: Disordered Eating, ahead of it being broadcast on BBC Three and on BBC iPlayer.

WATCH: Zara McDermott: Disordered Eating

On her transition from reality star to TV presenter, Zara said: “Making a film like this was a really valuable learning process. I lived and breathed it for as long as it took to make. I feel so much more confident in myself than when I was 21 on Love Island, when I was extremely shy bizarrely. Now I’m doing things like this that I’d never have been able to do a few years ago.”

Disordered eating covers a wide range of complex problems including undereating or overeating, excessive exercise, focusing more on appearance and anxiety around mealtimes.

The documentary takes an in-depth look at the impact of social media, as well as speaking with young people who are living with disordered eating and those in recovery.

Elfreda Boateng, 19, who is studying for a Creative Media Production Level 3 Diploma, admitted that she had previously struggled with how she looked because of social media.

She explained how she felt conflicted between having a fuller figure favoured in Afro-Caribbean culture and the slimmer ideal of other ethnicities that she often saw online.

“The film shone a light on a topic that people don’t really talk about. I went through the same as one of the girls in the documentary, which helped me come to terms more with what happened to me,” she said.

“When I was younger, I felt the pressure to conform to what I saw on social media and force myself into an ideal that I could not fit into. I was already quite slim, but I felt I needed to be slimmer but at the same time I was being told to gain weight, so I was in a binge and restrict cycle.

“Social media affects how you think people perceive you in society. A lot of the content is pushed for you to watch, and that is something I now try to separate myself from a lot.”

After the screening, students asked several questions about eating disorders and the making of the of the programme during a Q&A session with Zara and some of the production team.

Giving his advice to the group, BBC Commissioning Editor Max Gogarty said: “There is no one route in, and the truth is a lot of it is based on your ability to hustle, knock down doors and get your first foot into a production company or a studio, or find a director or someone you look up to or aspire to be in the industry. As soon as you get that first runner job, even if it is making cups of tea, you’re in, and once you’re in there’s a path you can climb.”

He told students that it can be tough making TV programmes, which often require long days of travelling and filming, and explained that 65 hours of footage was shot for the one-hour documentary.

Zara urged students to look at the name of production companies on the end credits and contact them for work experience at evenings and weekends as well as college holidays.

The screening also provided an opportunity to introduce students to the BBC Young Reporter scheme, which helps young people develop content ideas, share their stories and find out about broadcasting careers.

Tamara Lesniewska, Curriculum Manager for Creative and Digital Media,said: “Our students were excited to meet Zara and get a preview of her new documentary. It was a powerful and emotive film that resonated with many of the students who took their chance to ask her about the making of the programme, as well as advice on working in the media.”

Apply now for Creative and Digital Media courses here and IT and Computing courses here.