PARENTS OF CURRENT STUDENTS
PARENT & CARER INFORMATION
We are proud of the achievements of our young people here at the City of Stoke on Trent Sixth Form College.
A significant majority of our young people progress to a wide range of university courses, including Oxbridge, Russell Group, Sutton 30 and local universities, whilst others choose to progress to apprenticeships, including prestigious degree apprenticeships, or directly into employment. We work hard to support every young person, whichever progression route is right for them.
The Sixth Form College is a very different learning environment from secondary school. We support our young people to take responsibility for their own behaviour and progress, in order to make the successful transition into independent learners. Support is offered by a range of staff at the College, but your role as parent/carer is just as important; we recognise that positive parental/carer interaction has a positive impact on a young person’s learning, behaviour, attendance and progress.
The College values the contribution that parents/carers can make towards their young person’s education and would like to work in partnership with you to ensure that all of our young people can fulfil their potential. Therefore, we actively encourage parents/carers to contact the College and interact with teaching staff in order to ensure that all of our young people have the opportunity to be successful during their time with us.
We look forward to working with you.
Please take some time to read through the FAQs below, and do not hesitate to contact the College, if you would like more information.
Frequently asked questions:
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Young people must attend all of their timetabled lessons, ASPIRE tutorials and ASPIRE+ activities 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 other activities can be added to the timetable throughout the year, so timetables may change.
Some ASPIRE+ events and societies also run between 4.00pm and 5.30pm (more information on these will be provided during the induction period). Your young person can complete their college work at home, in the College’s Learning Resource Centre (LRC) or elsewhere, during the periods they are not in timetabled lessons.
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Click here to log in to 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, so it is important that we have the correct contact details for you. If you are having difficulty logging in, please email cedar@stokesfc.ac.uk in the first instance. We encourage parents/carers to check this information at least once every half term, and before parents’/carers’ evening appointments. Please contact College if you have not received the log in details by the end of September.
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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, ASPIRE tutorials and ASPIRE+ activities). 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.
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Please encourage your young person to:
· Attend all lessons, ASPIRE Tutorials and their chosen ASPIRE+ activities 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 for you and your young person 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.
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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.
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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.
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College life is about more than courses and qualifications; it’s about gathering experiences and skills that will prepare students for their next steps, whether that’s university, employment or an apprenticeship.
The ASPIRE Programme combines our ASPIRE+ programme, our ASPIRE tutorials and Futures programme, and is closely linked to the curriculum. The Programme aims to support both academic achievement and personal development, so that our students are ready to take their next steps at the end of their time here. During the Programme, students will work towards improving the ASPIRE characteristics of Achievement, Skills, Participation, Independence, Respect, Endeavour.
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All of our young people are expected to choose from, and become involved in, a range of enrichment activities, clubs and societies during their time at the College. Examples include the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, sporting activities and a variety of skills-based curriculum enhancement activities. Some of these events and societies run after normal college hours. More information on these will be provided during the induction period.
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The Futures Programme is designed to inform, support and inspire students to be positive and ambitious about their future plans and to equip them with the skills they need to progress into either higher education or the world of work. The Programme includes opportunities such as educational and university visits, guest speakers and employer encounters. Your young person will also be supported to develop employability skills including CV writing, making applications, interview skills and apprenticeship or job searches.
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Full attendance in all lessons, ASPIRE tutorials and ASPIRE+ activities 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. However, this will count as an unauthorised absence. 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 contact 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.
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All students are expected to attend all lessons, ASPIRE tutorials and ASPIRE+ activities on time, show positive behaviour for learning, and make progress in their studies. Young people who cannot meet these expectations will be supported through our Student Performance Management process Please click here for more details: Link to parents’ guide. If your young person does not engage with the support offered, or still finds it difficult to meet College expectations despite additional support, their place at College may be at risk.
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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 one of our Parents’/Carers’ Evenings; the dates and times for these are advertised on our website.
The College uses software called ‘tes SchoolCloud’ to allow you to book appointments with teaching staff on one of the 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 these events. Parents’/Carers’ Evenings are usually held via video call; 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.
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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 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 Futures Team who can support students in finding appropriate work placements. Please contact the college for more information on work experience opportunities.
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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.
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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. You can find more information on financial support, including on how to apply, by clicking on this link. 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.
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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 2024 applications are as follows:
- Oxbridge/MDV & Admissions Tests and Conservatoire applications – Friday 8th September 2023
- Russell Group, Competitive Health (Nursing, Midwifery, Physiotherapy, Paramedics), Competitive Dance & Drama, Education (Primary Education, Early Years, Education Studies), & Competitive Sciences (Biomedical Science, Biochemistry, Pharmacy) – Sunday 1st October 2023
- Local/National (non-competitive courses) – Sunday 15th October 2023
A fee is charged by UCAS. For 2024 entry, the application fee is £27.50 (up to a maximum of 5 choices). Young people in receipt of a bursary will have this fee paid on their behalf.
Charters
Please view/download the charters (PDF format):
Parents Evening
The College runs a number of Parent’s Evenings throughout the year.
At our Parents Evenings you’ll be able to speak with subject teachers and Progress Coaches about academic development, achievement and targets. Appointments are usually booked and conducted online, using the SchoolCloud system. Details are emailed to parents via SchoolCloud once bookings open for each event. If you need assistance with booking appointments, please telephone or email the college

Level 3 Transition – New Parents Information Evening (In College)
Wednesday 6th September 2023, 4:15pm-5:15pm

Year 2 Parents – The Year Ahead: Parents Information Meeting (Online)
Wednesday 6th September 2023, 5:30pm-6:00pm

All Years – Parents Evening (Online)
Thursday 14th December 2023, 5:00pm – 7:30pm.

Level 3 Transition/Year 2 – Parents Evening (Online)
Thursday 22nd February 2024, 5:00pm – 7:30pm.

Year 1 – Progression Information Evening (In College)
Wednesday 22nd May 2024, 5:30pm-8:00pm

Year 1 + L3Transition – New Parents’ Information Evening (In College)
Wednesday 20th September 2023, 5:30pm-7:30pm

All Years – Parents’ Evening (Online)
Monday 23rd October 2023, 5:00pm-7:30pm

Year 1 – Moving from Year 1 into Year 2: Parents’ Evening (Online)
Thursday 4th July 2024, 5:00pm-7:30pm
Parent testimonial
The College encourages the best from its students. I’m proud of what my daughter has achieved over the past two years and would recommend studying at the Sixth Form College to anyone.
Jackie Griffiths, Parent
UCAS and Progression Information Evening
Our UCAS and Progression Information Evening is an event aimed at Year 1 students and their parents/carers. The event will provide information and guidance on the UCAS application process and options for progression after completing their programme of study.
CEDAR (Parent Portal)
CEDAR, our Parent Portal, is an online platform which allows our parents to keep up-to-date with their young persons progress at the Sixth Form College.
Click here to log-in.
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- Online Timetable. Up-to-date online timetable for your son/daughter
- Attendance and Punctuality. Information for all classes updated as classes happen
- Performance against Minimum Expected Grades (MEGs) in all courses. Review current performance from marked work compared to MEG, which is generated from GCSE scores. There is a graphical indication of progress and potential.
- One-to-One discussions with Progress Coaches. Review discussions and targets set by your son/daughters’ Progress Coach.
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Please email our CEDAR Helpdesk if you are having difficulties accessing the CEDAR Parent Portal and need to reset your password.
Please Note: To provide you with a new password, we will need to match your message to the e-mail address we have on our records.
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To access the CEDAR Parent Portal, please click on the link below. You will be asked to enter your username (this is your email address) and your young person’s student ID number. You will then receive an activation email. Click on the link in the activation email; you will then be asked to enter your own password.
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If you have any problems setting up your account, please email CEDAR@stokesfc.ac.uk
parent guides
- The Parents Guide to Results Day 2023
- The Parents Guide to Exam Revision
- The Parents Guide to Teenage Anxiety & Stress
- The Parents Guide to University
- The Parents Guide to Apprenticeships
- The Parents Guide to Post-18 Options
- The Parents Guide to Standing Out From The Crowd
- Preventing Sexual Abuse Online
If you are unsure what course you think you should choose or what career you would like to aspire towards then contact Admissions: