Making The Move by Croydon College

MAKING THE MOVE 2021 -2022

THE COLLEGE DAY

Will I have to be at College all day?

The College day starts at 9am and finishes between 4.15pm and 5pm depending on your course. Coulsdon Sixth Form College finish at 2.30pm on a Friday. There are morning and lunch breaks and all lessons are of course, compulsory. Students are at College most of the working week but like university, it is generally not a requirement to be on site if a student does not have a lesson. At Coulsdon, students study across three of four blocks which will have four hours of contact time per week, so that will cover a lot of your time! All students are expected to participate in tutorials and other activities while at College so you’ll be pretty busy!

What can I wear to College?

You are allowed to wear your own clothes to College. No hats, hoodies up and no crash helmets are to be worn on the premises.

College ID Badge

You must wear your College ID lanyard at all times in the building. You will be issued with this at enrolment. If you lose your badge, there is a charge to replace it.

ATTENDANCE & PUNCTUALITY

What if I miss a lesson?

Croydon College and Coulsdon Sixth Form College take attendance and punctuality seriously. You are expected to be present for 100% of your timetabled sessions, unless you are unwell, and be ready in the classroom, before the lesson commences. If you arrive late, you will be marked as such. If your lateness becomes an issue, we will need to speak with parents/guardians/ carers to find a path forward for you.

Will I have tutorial periods?

Every student is allocated a Personal Tutor. This will be somebody who will get to know you very well. There are dedicated tutorial periods each week which are used for disseminating information and undertaking tutorial activities. You are expected to attend all your tutorial periods. At Croydon College we also offer Study Plus Learning which is academic and non-academic support to help you with your study programme.

ATTENDANCE & PUNCTUALITY

In addition to offering Maths and English support, we also run a successful homework club for all students, as well as one-to-one and small group support to students with learning needs. At both Colleges, if you fall behind with your studies, extra classes will be added to your timetable to ensure work is completed. These classes will take place during free periods and are supervised. The Study Plus team can also offer face-to-face advice, support and guidance regarding any issues while studying.

Will I have a morning and afternoon registration?

There is a computer based registration system which means that you will be registered for every lesson you attend. You will not have a daily tutor period as your Tutor will see you at least once a week. Queries or issues you have can be raised with them at any time.

SUPPORTING YOUR ASPIRATIONS 9

LESSONS & SUBJECT CHOICES

YOUR STUDY PROGRAMME What courses are offered at Coulsdon Sixth Form College? At Coulsdon, you can study A Levels and or BTECs. We offer Level 2 and Level 3 courses in a wide variety of subjects to suit your aspirations.

Can I do any combination of subjects I want? It is possible to ‘mix and match’ pretty much any combination of subjects. This means that a student can do a variety of A Levels or mix coursework-oriented BTEC subjects with A Level subjects. The ‘mix and match’ combinations are endless. This ensures your timetable is tailor-made for you, giving you the best possible chance of doing well. If you don’t pass English Language or Maths GCSE at Grade 4 or above, you will also have these subjects on your timetable.

How many A Levels can I take? Now that A Levels are two year linear programmes, like most schools and colleges, we generally expect students to take the equivalent of a three subject programme. The most academically able students could do four subjects if we think they stand a good chance of doing well in them. Strong students can take Further Maths, in addition to Mathematics. Increasingly, students who are applying for the most competitive universities and jobs sign up for the Extended Project Qualification. This gives them the opportunity to research a specific area of interest in more detail.

YOUR STUDY PROGRAMME What courses are offered at Croydon College? At Croydon, we are the largest provider of vocational courses in the borough. With industry standard facilities from Hair & Beauty Salons to industry kitchens, you know you will be learning with the latest facilities. All our study programmes are tailored to your individual needs and abilities. We offer vocational programmes, apprenticeships, ESOL, HE, Online Learning, Access courses and English and Maths qualifications.

Vocational Programmes These programmes are available at Entry Level, Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3. They are vocational qualifications, which will prepare you for further study or employment related to a specific area of work. They have an emphasis on developing practical and creative skills.

Apprenticeships Apprentices learn on the job, building up knowledge and skills, gaining qualifications and earning a salary all at the same time. Apprenticeships are perfect if you are eager to earn straight away or already have an employer who will take you on as an apprentice.

You must have the potential to achieve a Level 2 and/or Level 3 and to achieve further qualifications in Mathematics and English.

ESOL We offer English for progression courses from beginner to advanced level to give you the language skills you need to progress onto vocational or academic courses and give you the skills and qualifications needed to go on to Higher Education or employment.

Access Courses Our Access courses are specifically designed for motivated individuals aged 19 and over who wish to study a degree course here at Croydon College.

Degree We offer degree programmes validated by the University of Roehampton and we are committed to improving your career opportunities through the programmes we offer. There are a few routes onto our degree courses, applicants can complete Level 3 courses – A Levels (at Coulsdon Sixth Form College), BTECs, Apprenticeships or an Access Course.

HNC/HND/ Level 4 Diploma All these courses provide a wide-range of study programmes for those who wish to pursue or advance their career. The HNC courses are aimed at developing professional, self-reflecting individuals who are able to meet the demands of employers in the chosen sector and adapt to a constantly changing world.

YOUR PROGRESS

My Progress Tracker/ProPortal

We use MyPT to record and monitor your study programme, your attendance, your support needs, and your future goals. This is your individual online Learning Plan. As a live system, it provides up-to-date information on your course for you, your tutor, and other significant people – this can include parents/carers if you are under 18 or employers, if you are an apprentice.

How will my progress be monitored and reported?

Education post-16 is dominated by exams and coursework depending on your course choices. You can expect to be formally assessed throughout your time at College. For this reason, it is vitally important that you’re aware of how well you’re doing and what you need to do to improve. As well as having class and homework marked, you’ll have regular key assessments and individual interviews with your teachers or tutor to set and monitor your individual learning plans. In addition, you’ll receive a formal interim report approximately every six weeks. These are given to you and your parents. For each subject, these show: attendance, punctuality and both a predicted and target grade. Effort grades are also given to help you see exactly what you need to do to improve.

YOUR PROGRESS

If your interim report suggests you have a problem, or that you’re not working hard enough, we will invite your parents in with you to discuss the best way to improve your performance.

Will my parents/guardians be involved in my education?

For students under 19, we firmly believe in a strong relationship between you, your parents and the College. Parents/guardians and teachers should do what they can to help you achieve the highest possible grades, and help ensure you have a happy and enjoyable time at College. Parents are invited to attend meetings connected with admissions and enrolment and are expected to attend parents evenings, just like at school. We send home letters of communications to inform parents/guardians of meetings and events such as Awards Evenings.

Will I have someone who is responsible for my academic programme and overall welfare? As well as your Personal Tutor, you will also have a Head of Year allocated to you. You should talk to either of these contacts whenever you need to. Your parents or guardians will also be able to contact them directly if they would like to chat about your progress.

COMMITTED TO YOUR EDUCATION

LARGEST PROVIDER OF VOCATIONAL COURSES IN THE BOROUGH

RESULTS & ACHIEVEMENTS

Will I get the best grades possible?

The teachers at both Colleges are specialists in delivering courses to 16 – 19 year olds. They are fully qualified and prepared to ensure that you receive the very best grades possible. We have invested millions to ensure both Colleges provide top quality teaching spaces, social areas, industry standard facilities, software and equipment. As the largest provider of vocational courses in the Borough, all courses are tailored towards real working environments, meaning you are ready for progression after finishing your courses here at College.

STUDENT SERVICES Who

can I turn to for help and support?

The Student Services team is on hand to support you with information and guidance on many areas including: Confirmation letters Financial support and advice Absence reporting Applying to university Course options and careers Support with personal or social issues Counselling Enrichment activities Student Union …. And so much more!

CAREER PATHWAY GUIDANCE 21

SAFEGUARDING YOUR FUTURE

WELLBEING SUPPORT Safeguarding

and Wellbeing Officers

The safeguarding and Wellbeing Team are in College to support you. We know transitioning to College can be hard and you may need extra support to keep on top of things, so the Team are there to help. You can talk to them about anything. They offer a safe space to talk and 1:1 nonjudgemental services to all our students.

Mental Health Support

We have onsite Mental Health Practitioners who are there to support you if you are struggling with low mood, significant stress, worry, anxiety and anything else where you need the support.

Counselling

Both Colleges are lucky to have onsite Counsellors who provide you with a safe space to explore personal and emotional issues about any aspect of your life. These issues can be in or out of College, just know they are there for you.

Any questions? If you have any questions that have not been answered here, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us:

020 8760 5934 admissions@croydon.ac.uk www.croydon.ac.uk  @CroydonCollegeOfficial  @CroydonCollege  @CroydonCollege

01737 551176 admissions@coulsdon.ac.uk www.coulsdon.ac.uk @Coulsdonsixthformcollege  @CoulsdonCollege 