PARENT & CARER INFORMATION

Frequently asked questions:

• Does my young person have to come to college all day every day?

  Young people must attend all of their timetabled lessons and ASPIRE tutorials every week; their timetable is available for you to view at any time after the start of the academic year, on CEDAR. We expect 100% attendance; evidence strongly suggests that students with full attendance achieve better outcomes.

  The College day is 8.30am to 4.30pm from Monday to Friday. We expect all young people enrolled at the college to be available between these hours every day, since additional lessons and enrichment activities can be added to the timetable throughout the year, so timetables may change.

  Some enrichment events and societies also run between 4.00pm and 5.00pm (more information on these will be provided during the induction period). Your young person can work from home, in the College’s Learning Resource Centre (LRC) or elsewhere, if they do not have a timetabled lesson.

• How can I support my young person in their journey to becoming an independent learner?

  Please encourage your young person to:

  • Attend all lessons and ASPIRE Tutorials on time, and complete all PREP work set after each lesson by the deadlines given.
  • Come to College fully equipped and ready to learn (e.g. pen, paper, folder, if available their own fully charged electronic device etc.)
  • Check their Progress Grades after every Progress Point Assessment; these will be available to view on CEDAR.
  • Speak to their teachers or Progress Coach if they have worries or concerns.
  • Behave in a mature and responsible manner at all times in College and be respectful to all other members of the College community.
• What is the ASPIRE Programme?

  ASPIRE stands for ACHIEVEMENT ∙ SKILLS ∙ PARTICIPATION ∙ INDEPENDENCE ∙ RESPECT ∙ ENDEAVOUR.

  The ASPIRE Programme is designed to inspire a generation of citizens who are curious about the world they live in. It will include all classroom based tutorials; the enrichment programme; collaboration between teaching staff, Progress Coaches and the careers team; and will be closely linked to the curriculum. The Programme therefore aims to support both academic achievement and personal development, so ‘Achievement’ for example could be something your young person does either within or outside College, either academic or extra-curricular. The College praise system is based on the ASPIRE principles.

• Are there opportunities to meet my young persons teachers?

  Yes. The College holds a Parent/Carer Information Evening for new parents/carers at the start of the academic year. We also offer you the opportunity to meet your young person’s subject teachers on our Parents’/Carers’ Evenings; the dates and times for all of these are advertised on our website.

  The College uses software called ‘tes’ to allow you to book appointments with teaching staff on Parents’/Carers’ Evenings. As long as you have supplied an up to date email address, you will receive an automated email when bookings open for each event. Parents’/Carers’ Evenings could be a mixture of online and face to face events; more information on Parents’/Carers’ Evenings will be sent out to you nearer the time. However, if you have any concerns at other times, please contact your young person’s Progress Coach; their name will be available on CEDAR.

• What is CEDAR?

  CEDAR is the College information system which stores the personal data of your young person, including contact details and information on their attendance and academic progress.

  Parents/carers are able to access this data at any time via the Parent Portal. Once your young person has enrolled at the College, you will be sent details on how to log in. We encourage parents/carers to check this information at least once every half term, and before parents’/carers’ evening appointments, so it is important that we have the correct contact details for you.

  Please contact College if you have not received the log in details by the end of September.

• How much independent study (PREP) should my young person be doing outside of lessons?

  Your young person will be set PREP tasks by their teachers; these must be completed outside of lessons and by the deadlines they are given. We expect learners to gradually increase the amount of time they spend on PREP as they progress through their course, building up to at least 14 hours each week by the end of their first year of study (in addition to attending all of their lessons and tutorials). Teachers will set structured tasks to be completed during this time; your young person can complete this work in the College’s Learning Resource Centre (LRC) or at home.

• How will the College address and support underperformance, below expected attendance, or behaviour concerns?

  The College has a Student Performance Management Policy which outlines the procedures that are followed to address issues such as these. The procedures are designed to be supportive and to encourage positive learning behaviours. Where issues have been identified, the first step is a verbal warning. If the issues continue, the young person may be placed onto a ‘Commitment Report’ to help them improve their learning behaviours. This is reviewed, usually after two weeks, and can be ended, extended or escalated to the next stage, which is a ‘Contract’. Attempts will be made to contact parents/carers to keep them informed of the reasons for the Contract and targets set. The Contract is reviewed, again usually after two weeks, and can also be ended, extended or escalated to the next stage, which is a Disciplinary Panel. This is a where the young person and their parent/carer are invited to meet with members of the Senior Management Team in order to decide whether it is appropriate for the young person to remain in College.

  Click here to view our Student & Parent Information Booklet for Student Performance Management.

• What opportunities are there for work experience at the College?

  T Level students are required to undertake 315 hours in an industry placement; this is a compulsory element of their programme of study and can be completed in blocks during their two year course or on a day release basis.

  BTEC/CTEC Extended Diploma courses at College strongly advise young people to find a regular, relevant work experience placement for up to 4 hrs per week. This is also recommended for young people studying A Levels who want to enter the medical or care related professions.

  In addition, all Year One students are expected to attend a work placement for at least one week. To facilitate this, all Year One students are taken off timetable for one week in January. Please encourage your young person to arrange their own work placement if possible. The College has a Work Experience Co-ordinator who can support students in finding appropriate work placements. Please contact the college for more information on work experience opportunities.

• Can my young person also have a part time paid job whilst at College?

  College should be regarded as your young person’s ‘full time job’, so please limit any part time paid work to no more than 8 – 10 hours per week; this must be outside of college hours i.e. after 5pm weekdays or at weekends.

• What personal development opportunities are available for my young person at the College?

  There is a range of programmes, activities, clubs and societies for young people to become involved in at the College. Some enrichment events and societies run between 4.00pm and 5.00pm. More information on these will be provided during the induction period.

• Who should I contact at College to discuss my young person’s progress?

  All young people enrolled at the College are allocated a Progress Coach. The role of the Progress Coach is to lead weekly tutorials and to conduct regular 1-1 discussions with all of their students. If you have any concerns, or would like to discuss any issues, please contact your young person’s Progress Coach in the first instance; their name will be available on CEDAR via the Parent Portal. The Progress Coach will liaise with teaching staff or Student Services as appropriate, on your behalf.

• When will I receive progress reports from teachers?

  We carry out regular Progress Point Assessments in all subjects. The grades achieved at each Progress Point Assessment are entered onto CEDAR and these are available for you to view at any time via the Parent Portal. However, if you have any concerns at any time, please contact your young person’s Progress Coach; their name will be available on CEDAR.

• What happens if my young person is ill and cannot attend their lessons?

  Full attendance in all lessons and tutorials is a college expectation; research shows that attendance is key to achieving a young person’s full potential. On the rare occasion that your young person is too ill to attend College, they can log into their CEDAR account and add their absence from the side menu Presence – Absences – Absence Entry. Alternatively, you can call the College absence line on 01782 854203. This number is also displayed on the back of your young person’s ID badge. Your young person must contact their teacher and complete any missed work. Staff will attempt to make contact with your young person if they are absent from lessons for any reason. If contact cannot be established, staff will contact the next of kin listed on CEDAR, therefore please ensure that your details are kept up to date. If a young person has not attended College for 4 weeks and we have not had any contact with them, their place at College will be withdrawn.

• Can I apply for financial support and free school meals to support my young person whilst at the Sixth Form College?

  Yes. There is a variety of financial support available, including free school meals and different types of bursary. In order to qualify for these, you must meet the criteria which are based on household income and family circumstances. Please take some time to read the Student Support information on the College website, which will provide further information, including the criteria you must meet and how to apply. Whilst you are encouraged to apply for support at the start of the academic year, if your family circumstances change mid-year, you can still apply at any point in the year.

• How does my young person apply for a university place?

  All young people at the College are encouraged to make an application for university through the University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) at the end of their first year of Level 3 study. Progress Coaches work closely with young people, providing the support they need to fill in the online UCAS application form, which includes a personal statement. The deadline for submitting applications varies depending on the courses applied for; the College sets internal deadlines to ensure that young people submit their entries in time for checking before being submitted to UCAS.

  The dates for 2023 applications are as follows:

  • Oxbridge/MDV & Admissions Tests and Conservatoire applications – Friday 9th September 2022
  • Russell Group, Competitive Health, Competitive Dance, & Education – Friday 30th September 2022 e.g. Nursing, Midwifery, Physiotherapy, Paramedics, Education (Primary Education, Early Years, Education Studies) & Competitive Sciences (Biomedical Science, Biochemistry, Pharmacy).
  • Local/National (non-competitive courses) – Friday 14th October 2022

  A fee is charged by UCAS. For 2023 entry, the application fee is £27.00 for more than one choice (up to a maximum of 5 choices) or £22.50 for a single choice. Young people in receipt of a bursary will have these fees paid on their behalf.