College Connect Issue 2 Feb 2020

COLLEGE CONNECT SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD’S FUTURE SUCCESS

College Connect Issue 2 February 2020

Bolton College - Part of the University of Bolton Group

US Ain’t seen nothin’ yet!

Football ace Jack Foxley is flying high after securing a Soccer Scholarship in the USA. The Bolton College sports student, who plays for Wanderers Soccer School’s Elite Development Squad, signed with sports recruitment experts FiveZero - they will support Jack as he decides which USA college team to sign for.

The College’s partnership with Bolton Wanderers Community Trust means that Jack was well-prepared for his trial; he trains for five days a week at the Eddie Davies Training Academy, plays in competitive leagues and competes in regional and national competitions.

Mike Bruns, Bolton College’s Sports & Public Services Curriculum Leader, said: “I’m very pleased for Jack, he’s a fantastic player and brilliant in the classroom, so his scholarship is well deserved.”

L-R: Mike Bruns, Jack Foxley, CEO of BWFC Emma Beaugeard, BWCT Head Phil Mason

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Issue #2

Part of the University of Bolton Group

CONTENTS 3...5.The Little Things

Performing Arts students raise Mental Health awareness.

4...

College Life: College Charter, Learner Support and Staying Safe

5... Learning Development

College Connect Issue 2 Feb 2020

8...

9...

Careers Programme The benefits of our structured careers programme. icould Discover the website that inspires young people’s career choices through their own personal stories.

10... English & Maths

Part of life’s essentials.

11... A Taste of the Future

Prospective students get a ‘taste’ of Bolton College!

12... T Levels

Our new Gold Standard qualification.

Mentors

6-7... National

Apprenticeship Week Find out about our amazing Apprenticeships!

Welcome from the Principal Our learners are at the heart of everything we do and our ultimate priority is for your child to get the most out of their time at Bolton College.

Your child will now be preparing for their forthcoming exams, and they’re also about to make some very important decisions about their next steps, so we’ll tell you a little more about what they can expect at Bolton College.

On pages 4 & 5, you can learn more about our Learner Support, College Charter and Learning Development Mentors, who will ensure that your child gets the most out of their college experience.

Good English and maths skills are essential, so on page 10 find out about the classes your child will take if they don’t achieve that vital grade 4 GCSE. If they have achieved a grade 4, we’ll tell you how we can stretch and challenge them beyond GCSE. Preparing your child for a successful career is a priority for us; read more on page 8 about our structured Careers Programme, giving your child the skills to manage lifelong learning and career development.

If your child joins us at Level 2 in childcare, computing, health & social care or professional building, they will have a unique opportunity to progress on to the new Gold Standard T Level qualification in 2021.

T Levels are the equivalent of three A Levels and are employer led; as these are high level, technical qualifications your child will need to work diligently next year, and achieve the right profile to enjoy this great opportunity.

You play a vital role in the future development of your child and we look forward to working closely with you to ensure that they achieve their ambitions.

Bill Webster, Principal of Bolton College.

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Bolton College students have taken time out of the classroom to watch ‘The Little Things,’ a play about mental health, written by Dramatically Healthy in conjunction with The Octagon Theatre.

The College’s Performing Arts students starred in the production, staged in the College’s 100-seat theatre.

Over a run of 32 performances, hundreds of students followed Mark, who feels increasingly stressed by the pressures of life. DVD characters educate him about the ‘Five Ways to Wellbeing,’ Connect, Be active, Take notice, Learn and Give.

Watch a short clip below

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e f i L e g e l Col Meeting your expectations...

College Charter

Our College Charter tells you what your child can expect from us now that they’ve been offered a place. This includes honest and impartial advice to help them make the right decisions throughout their life at College.

We also commit to: • An induction and clearly explaining their rights and responsibilities as a member of Bolton College • Discussing any additional support required, after their initial assessment • Providing a high-quality learning programme delivered by well-qualified staff • Regular progress meetings • Opportunities to express their views about their course and the College • Promptly returned assignments with written feedback to help their studies • Enrichment activities outside of the classroom • Support accessing confidential counselling and welfare services if required

Student Support We want your child to get the most out of their course and have the best chance of being successful, so our support includes: • Special and individual needs assessments • Technical equipment support • Communicator support or help with English if it’s your child’s second language • Dyslexia support • English and maths support, and help with study skills at our drop-in centre, TheHub@1:35C • Exam support, such as extra time or a reader If your child has a learning difficulty or disability, but didn’t indicate this on their application form, please contact our Admissions Team on 01204 482 155 to discuss their support needs. You can contact our Learner Support Team on 01204 482 669 or 482 670.

Staying Safe Bolton is a safe place to study, live and work. However, it’s important that your child takes a few simple precautions at home and whilst travelling, to reduce the risk of becoming a victim of crime.

We work closely with Greater Manchester Police to advise and protect our learners and we have strong links with specialist organisations across Bolton, that can help our learners with a range of issues outside of their studies. These include: •

Information and support for young people affected by alcohol and/or drugs misuse

•

Helping learners to access health services

•

Supporting people with mental health issues

•

Helping with homelessness and related issues

•

Providing a listening ear to anyone who would like to discuss LGBTQ+ related issues

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Learning

Development

Mentors

Our Learning Development Mentors (LDMs) are responsible for ensuring that your child gets the maximum benefit from their time with us. Their LDM will be their critical friend and support and guide them along their journey through College.

Each week your child will meet with their LDM, along with other learners in their group, to discuss a topic to do with their course or of interest in the media. Each term your child will have one-to-one time with their LDM to discuss and record their progress on the course, celebrate their latest successes and talk about areas where they can improve and develop.

Your child’s LDM may contact you if they feel there are issues your child needs to discuss with you. Please make sure that your contact details are kept up to date.

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Getting fired up for National Apprenticeship Week!

3rd – 7th February

Apprentice Hair Stylist Caitlin Hesketh, who won ‘Apprentice of the Year’ at last year’s Bolton Business Awards, starred in one of the films. Caitlin, who works at Mirror & Mane in Wigan, said: “I love being an apprentice so I enjoyed speaking on camera about how the Apprenticeship is benefiting me, and why I’d recommend one.”

10 Qs with Caitlin

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In preparation for National Apprenticeship Week, we visited different apprentices in their workplace and produced a series of short films, showcasing the diversity and value that our Apprenticeships bring to apprentices and employers in the North West.

10 Qs with Naeem

IT Apprentice Naeem Khondoker works in the IT Department at Bolton School. He has big ambitions, and rightly so. Thanks to the support he’s receiving from Bolton School and Bolton College, he’d like to progress to a Degree Apprenticeship.

Naeem said: “Being an apprentice works for me. I was never too fond of the school environment, so working whilst I’m learning suits me. I’m now starting to work on bigger jobs, fixing Apple TVs and projectors – it’s been a great learning experience.”

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www.boltoncollege.ac.uk

Careers Programme

Part of the University of Bolton Group

Preparing your child for a successful future Preparing your child for a successful career will be a key priority for us.

Our structured Careers Programme will give your child the skills, knowledge and understanding to manage their own lifelong learning and career development.

Did you know that…

1. Career choice is one of life’s most important decisions.

2. Choosing a career that matches your child’s interests increases their chances for success and happiness.

3. As a parent/carer you play a crucial role in supporting your child’s career choices.

4. At Bolton College, your child will have access to impartial careers information, advice and guidance.

5. Free resources to help your child make informed choices can be found here: - National Careers Service - www.nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk - Apprenticeship information www.apprenticeships.gov.uk - Applying to university - www.ucas.com - Alternatives to university - www.notgoingtouni.co.uk 6. Our Careers Programme incorporates work-related learning activities, work experience and visits to universities as well as employer talks.

We welcome feedback and suggestions from parents/carers on our Careers Programme.

If you’d like to share your views, please take our very short survey at: www.bit.ly/cpeng

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www.boltoncollege.ac.uk College Connect page 8

Inspiring Young People’s Career Choices

icould.com uses the power of personal stories to inform and inspire young people’s career choices. They encourage young people to discover opportunities they may not have known about before and show them what is possible in the world of work. Free and simple to use, the site features over 1,000 videos of real people talking about their careers – explaining their job role, career path and how different factors have shaped their choices.

Videos can be filtered by job type or subject and cover a range of sectors and levels. This means your child can tap into views outside of their own network or equally, find inspiration from stories relating to their own experience.

Each video is matched with information such as salary, qualifications and future employment. A range of written guides and articles explore issues including GCSE options or university choices; exams and revision; and finding and applying for jobs.

The Buzz Quiz on icould.com is an interesting and fun way to look at self-awareness and how personality can affect career choice. We encourage you and your child to visit www.icould.com/buzz-quiz and have a go!

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Our Catering & Hospitality Department welcomed school pupils for ‘A Taste of the Future’.

Would-be Chefs, who have applied for catering courses, enjoyed a tour of the College, then created a delicious three-course meal in the College’s professional kitchens.

Catering tutors and Level 3 learners provided their expert advice, before the kitchen whizzes served up the meals to their parents and carers in the College’s Signature restaurant.

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Part of the University of Bolton Group

Delivering GOLD STANDARD T Level Qualifications from 2021 T Levels are a brand new Gold Standard two year, nationally-recognised Level 3 qualification.

Successfully completing a T Level is the exact same as finishing three A Levels. T Levels are career focused rather than subject based, combining classroom learning with meaningful on-the-job experience. The programme has been designed with employers and businesses, with the inclusion of English, maths and digital skills.

A major part of a T Level is an industry-based placement, where your child will benefit from applying classroom theory to the workplace, helping to develop the exact skills employers look for.

T Levels have been developed by the government as part of a long-term solution to ensure that employers get the skilled workers they need to prosper.

T Levels coming in 2021 From September 2020 your child will be able to apply for a range of T Level programmes, including: • Construction – Design, Surveying & Planning • Onsite Construction • Digital Production, Design & Development • Education & Childcare • Health Pathway • Science Pathway To find out more visit:

www.boltoncollege.ac.uk/t-levels

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