AoC Sport spotlight: North East Surrey College of Technology

North East Surrey College of Technology (Nescot) welcomed a trio of darts legends on March 6 to inspire students and encourage them to develop their mental maths skills. Paul ‘The Asset’ Nicholson, Devon ‘The African Warrior’ Petersen and three-time darts World Champion Mighty Michael Van Gerwen visited the college for the ‘Nescot Loves Darts and Maths’ event promoting arithmetic and numeracy, launching a college darts league and sharing their stories of determination and success.

Nescot hosted a full day of darts events, aimed at students re-taking their Maths GCSEs. Nicholson and Petersen played a five-leg match, then the players and MC Paul Starr held a Q&A and participated in a darts related maths quiz with students. Smaller groups of students later met the players in workshops on self-belief and inclusion.

The players also formally opened the newly branded Nescot Department of Maths. Each classroom now has a darts board and is named after a darts legend. In addition, Nescot launched a darts club and league, the first college in the country to do so. The inaugural Kapsalis Cup was contested between Nescot and East Sussex College Group, with plans to roll out a wider college league. During the sessions, all three players plus the MC were awarded a Nescot Honorary Fellowship and the day concluded with a meet and greet for students.

The event was masterminded by Julie Kapsalis, Principal and CEO at Nescot, and also a massive darts fan. Julie makes an annual pilgrimage to the Lakeside World Championships and loves watching the sport, live and on TV. Having previously worked in sports PR, she also has contacts in the world of darts and reached out to them with the seed of an idea.

Julie said: “Exciting and engaging students retaking their Maths GCSEs was the challenge that made this day take shape. We regularly invite leaders from business, sport and the community to share their stories and when looking for a Maths enthusiast, my mind turned to my own sporting passion – darts.

“The response from the darts community was incredible, after one phone call we were gifted boards, surrounds and darts, then the representatives of top players suggested an entire day of events at the college. We created a mini arena, and it was so exciting to see darts legends step up to the oche at Nescot. We’re so grateful to the players, their management and everyone involved for taking the time to promote Maths and inspire our students. Highlighting role models from all kinds of backgrounds and making learning fun are key at Nescot. I can’t wait to see our students’ playing darts in the classrooms. Game on!”

Michael van Gerwen said, "It's great to see first-hand how Nescot are using darts to inspire their students. It's a brilliant way to improve mental Maths, as the two go hand in hand. I love the fact the college is going to have a dartboard in every Maths class too. It will be a fantastic addition, and I'm sure the students will love it."

Devon Petersen said, "It was a pleasure to visit Nescot College, and it's so good to see them following core values and using darts to enhance their arithmetic. I have seen darts and Maths work together in the work that I do for Bullseye Maths with young children, and Nescot will definitely see the benefits of using darts to enhance their education."

Paul Nicholson said, "Seeing young people like the ones at Nescot College enjoying the sport of darts today is so good to see, and I have no doubt that including darts as part of the student's Maths learning journey will only be a good thing. Darts is a sport for all, and it can be educational as well as fun, as proved with what Nescot are doing. Schools and colleges can only benefit from adding darts to their learning program."

Maths skills and mental Maths are important for many employers. Nescot welcomes students who would like to retake their Maths GCSEs and improve their employment prospects before they step into the world of work.

As well as functional skills courses in Maths and English, Nescot offers a wide range of college courses for school leavers and adults, including Animal Care, Business, Computing and IT, Construction, Performing Arts, Childcare, Health & Social Care and Beauty Therapy. Find out more about studying at Nescot here.