YOUR
NEW COLLEGE
www.ncdoncaster.ac.uk
New College Doncaster
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NCDONCASTER
CONTENTS 3 WELCOME
18 - 19
4 - 5
KEY STEPS TO ENROLMENT
20 - 21
6 - 7
YOUR SIXTH FORM COLLEGE
22 - 23
8 - 9 10 - 11 12 - 13 14 - 15 16 - 17
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YOUR ENRICHMENT
YOUR TRAVEL OPTIONS
WHAT OUR STUDENTS SAY
YOUR SUBJECT CHOICES
24 - 25 NEW COLLABORATIVE LEARNING TRUST
YOUR RESULTS
26 - 27
YOUR PROGRESS
YOUR WELLBEING AND SUPPORT YOUR ASPIRATIONS
FAQS
Your New College
WELCOME We’re delighted that you’ve chosen New College Doncaster. Congratulations for receiving a conditional offer and thanks very much for coming to your interview with us. The college’s popularity has grown significantly over the last three years and we have now received over 1300 applications for September.
This booklet explains how to now accept your conditional offer, but it should hopefully give you more of a feel of what you can expect as you join the New College team! We look forward to seeing you later in the year.
Brendon Fletcher Principal
My role is to ensure that you are well-supported and making excellent progress throughout your time with us. I want to make sure that your tutorial programme is really valuable to you, that your progress tutors are able to provide you with outstanding personal support and guidance, and that your teachers are able to put effective additional support in place for you when it’s needed. I’m a Geography teacher and you’ll see me around the college very often. I’m really excited about getting to know our next group of Year 12 students.
Making sure your experience in the classroom is of the highest quality is my primary responsibility. Part of my role is also to ensure that students are really well supported in preparing for the next stage of their education or career. You can expect to see lots of universities and employers in college to give you advice and guidance, and a really effective programme for students applying to highly competitive universities. I completed my Chemistry degree at the University of Cambridge and I am passionate about sciences.
My role in college is to work closely with teachers to ensure we are continually developing our practice, drawing on the latest research and evidence to ensure we are using methods known to lead to the best results. I will also ensure we are providing students with the study skills you need to thrive during your time at college: strategies for organisation and revision which have proven success. I am an English teacher and feel very fortunate that I will get to share my love of Literature and Language with some of you.
Helen Jackson
Dan Wood
Assistant Principal (Quality and Standards)
Ceri Boyle
Vice Principal (Progress, Intervention and Support)
Assistant Principal (Teaching, Learning and Assessment)
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New College Doncaster
KEY STEPS TO ENROLMENT
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Your New College
NEXT STEPS TO JOINING NEW COLLEGE . Accept your conditional offer 1 This is really simple but really important! Just visit www.ncdoncaster.ac.uk/accept This helps us to plan properly for September, but it’s also an important step in securing your place to study with us. Accepting an offer isn’t binding on you and you can change your mind, but you need to accept your offer to be able to enrol with us in September. Students that apply and accept their offers on time will always take priority if we are oversubscribed.
4. Collect your GCSE results – Thursday 22 August Good luck! If things don’t go to plan, don’t worry – there will be lots of options for us to explore at the enrolment day.
Acceptance deadline Friday 24 May . Focus on achieving a 2 fantastic set of GCSE results 3. Attend your induction day – Tuesday 09 July We’ll write to you after your GCSE exams with details of this day. We’ll invite you to spend a full day with us just before we break up for the summer. This is an opportunity to start getting settled into college, to pick up some preparatory work to look at over the summer, and to make any early changes to your subject choices.
5. Enrolment Day Tuesday 27 August We’ll write to you nearer the time letting you know what time you should attend. You’ll have a really supportive, in-depth conversation about subject choices. You’ll sign your learning agreement and officially enrol as a student at New College. You’ll be able to purchase a college bus pass (if you need one) and find out the arrangements for the start of term.
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Teaching for Year 12 starts on Friday 06 September
UNABLE TO ATTEND ENROLMENT DAY?
Please do let us know well in advance if you are unable to attend the enrolment day. We will then invite you to our late enrolment event on Monday 02 September. Students must attend enrolment in person. Please be aware that we will not reserve spaces on courses for students unable to attend the main enrolment day and in the unlikely event that any courses are oversubscribed, students will need to select from courses that still have availability on 02 September.
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New College Doncaster
YOUR
SIXTH FORM COLLEGE 6
Your New College
New College Doncaster is a sixth form which is different to both a school sixth form and a general further education college. All of our students are aged 16-19 and all of our students are studying academic qualifications, mostly A levels but a good number studying A level equivalent qualifications - Level 3 BTECs. New College is a stepping stone to university and your experience with us will feel different to Year 11. It’s not just the fact that students don’t wear uniforms and that we don’t have bells. It’s more about the adult relationship we develop with our students. We work hard to get the balance right – expecting students to work hard and make good progress, checking carefully that things are going well, but trusting you to use your time and the college facilities as a young adult and as an independent student.
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New College Doncaster
YOUR
SUBJECT CHOICES New College is the perfect size for sixth form study – we’re small enough to feel like a community but large enough to offer a huge range of subjects. This means you can genuinely choose the subjects that really excite you, that play to your strengths, that link to your future plans. We can tailor your combination of subjects to you as an individual. Helping you to select the right courses is critically important, which is why your interview and your enrolment meeting after your GCSE results are so important. Don’t worry if you’ve changed your mind about your subjects, just let us know by emailing studentservices@ncdoncaster.ac.uk, or let us know when you enrol. It’s best to let us know as soon as you can though, just in case any subjects do become full up.
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Your New College
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New College Doncaster
YOUR
PROGRESS Throughout your time at New College you’ll know exactly how you are progressing. We use lots of assessment, including traditional exams, but also small, informal knowledge checks during lessons and within your homework (directed independent learning). You’ll be receiving lots of regular feedback, reflecting on the areas you need to target, and addressing any weaknesses really quickly. This helps you to feel confident and in control, and it means you’ll be very wellprepared for your final exams. After each assessment your teacher will review any extra support you need and agree with you your next steps. You and your parents can check all of your assessment grades and a summary of agreed support and next steps through Cedar, our online portal. Each student will also have a progress tutor who will have the helicopter view of how you are getting on across all of your subjects.
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Your New College
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New College Doncaster
YOUR
RESULTS In summer 2018, two thirds of our BTEC courses achieved results that placed them in the top 10% of all schools and colleges in the country, with strong performance across the board. The small number of students resitting Maths or English achieved phenomenal results, substantially stronger than the local and national picture. The progress of our A-Level students in monthy assessments has matched that of students in our sister college, New College Pontefract, over the last two years – a college which delivers outstanding results year-on-year. You, your teachers and your progress tutor will have a constant focus on meeting or exceeding your minimum target grade.
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Your New College
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New College Doncaster
YOUR
WELLBEING & SUPPORT New College is a place which embraces and celebrates our differences. We want all of our students to feel happy, valued and well-supported. Your progress tutor will often be your first port-of-call if you’re finding things tough. They can provide you with individual support or signpost you to other professionals that can also help, such as our team of counsellors or organisations outside of college. We run lots of events and campaigns throughout the year, helping students to stay safe and to make positive decisions which support good physical and mental health. We also have an experienced and committed team supporting students with additional learning needs (SEND) and a dedicated safeguarding team.
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Your New College
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New College Doncaster
YOUR
ASPIRATIONS At New College we provide tailored support for you so that you have the very best chance of progressing from New College to a great university, apprenticeship or job. We’ll ask you to review your career plans at key points, so that we can signpost relevant talks by visiting universities or employers, or arrange for you a careers interview. We’ll support you in finding high quality work placements if you have particular careers in mind, such as medicine or teaching, or if you’re studying BTEC courses which include work placements, or if you’re considering work or apprenticeships rather than university. If you’re aiming for the very highest grades you’ll be able to take part in our excellence academy, focusing on preparation for applications to Russell Group universities, Oxford and Cambridge, and for very competitive degree courses which have extra hurdles to overcome.
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Your New College
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New College Doncaster
YOUR
ENRICHMENT It’s not all work and no play. At New College you’ll have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of clubs, societies and trips. If you’re sporty, you might be interested in the football, rugby, netball or basketball teams, or perhaps our skiing trip to Bormio, Italy? If you enjoy travel you could take part in World Challenge, fundraising for an expedition to a far-flung part of the world. We offer Duke of Edinburgh Silver and Gold. You could get involved in our students’ union executive team and stand for election, organising events, raising money for charity, giving a voice to the student body. You could get involved in lunchtime clubs such as the LGBT group, jazz band, college magazine. Subjects have organised lots of trips, including languages trips to Berlin and Nice, and a visual arts trip to New York. At New College there is lots to get involved in outside of lessons and it’s a great way to make new friends, learn new skills and discover hidden talents.
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Your New College
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New College Doncaster
YOUR
TRAVEL OPTIONS Transport provision for college includes routes from locations in South Yorkshire, North Nottinghamshire and North Lincolnshire. This provision is a mixture of either public service buses or one of our six private college services. You can currently get a bus directly to college from any of the locations opposite. We are currently reviewing our provision to extend it to even more locations so please check our website for updates on the routes and services from your area. www.ncdoncaster.ac.uk/travel
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Your New College
FIND YOUR NEAREST LOCATION FROM THE LIST BELOW
Adwick Armthorpe Balby Barnby Dun Bawtry Belton Bentley Braithwell Branton Cantley Dinnington Doncaster Town Centre Dunscroft Dunsville Edenthorpe Edlington Epworth Harwoth
Hatfield Haxey Kirk Sandall Lakeside Ranskill Retford Rossington Scawsby South Axholme Stainforth Thorne Tickhill Town Moor
(Thorne Road)
Warmsworth Westwoodside Wheatley
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New College Doncaster
Leah McAuley
Sir Thomas Wharton Academy Which courses are you studying? Applied Science, Sociology and Law What are your future aspirations? University to study Paramedics Tell us a little bit about what it’s like studying at New College. I enjoy the lessons and all the teachers help out as much as they can to develop my understanding of the course. I get on with all the teachers really well and they’re very supportive. The facilities are really good and it’s always so clean and tidy and a lovely environment to be in. I look forward to coming to college. Although challenging sometimes, it is a good kind of challenging and allows you to push forward. It’s given me the opportunities to develop my skills in wider places outside of college and opportunities such as being the Vice President of the college and having my say.
WHAT OUR STUDENTS SAY Ethan Brown
Ridgewood School Which courses are you studying? Maths, Physics and Applied Science What are your future aspirations? Degree apprenticeship Tell us a little bit about what it’s like studying at New College. My teachers are all nice people who help me when I’m struggling. It’s a relatively nice community of people who attend college and are quite diverse. Learning is made easier with teachers being in after college to let me and other students attend extra sessions each week.
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Your New College
Jade Lambert
The Hayfield School Which courses are you studying? Biology, Chemistry and Geography
What are your future aspirations? MBio Biomedical Science at University of Lincoln
Tell us a little bit about what it’s like studying at New College. New College is very unique in the fact that we are taught how revision works, and the best ways to do so. This is related to each course so we can effectively learn new techniques, which I will be able to use after my time at New College. At New College there is an adult atmosphere, which you would not find at any other sixth form. This is what I really like about New College as I feel like it is preparing me well for the university atmosphere.
Alex Shaw
South Axholme Academy Which courses are you studying? Biology, Chemistry and Economics What are your future aspirations? University Tell us a little bit about what it’s like studying at New College. I enjoy the calm and happy atmosphere when studying inside and outside of lessons. The teachers put your needs first and are always willing to go the extra mile to ensure you do your very best. The more casual relationship allows for a strong bond to be created between teacher and student. The resources at New College are outstanding, with computers and laptops being available at all times and private areas in the LRC allowing for quiet study to be established, away from the lively and friendly atmosphere of the Student Union.
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New College Doncaster
New College Doncaster is part of a family of three sixth form colleges called New Collaborative Learning Trust. The Trust’s vision is for a chain of specialist 16-19 sixth form colleges across Yorkshire and Humberside, providing high quality teaching, learning and assessment, delivered by post-16 subject specialists who know their courses well and can provide the kind of dynamic teaching that ensures our young people have significantly improved progression to higher education, training and professional employment. In addition to the three sixth form colleges, the Trust also runs a teaching school, New Collaborative Teaching School Alliance, leading CPD and teaching initiatives across the region designed to raise success rates in schools. In September 2017, the NCTSA won a £310,000 grant to raise literacy levels in primary schools in the region. The Trust’s original college, New College Pontefract, has a very strong track record. In 2014 it became the first sixth form college in the country to be awarded a Grade 1 in every curriculum area inspected. In 2015 it was shortlisted for the TES College of the Year award. Over the past three years, the A-Level pass rate has been either 99 or 100%, whilst the A* - B rate has been consistently over
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50%. Our Level 3 BTEC results have been similarly strong, with a 100% pass rate and a high grade average of over 85%.
New College Doncaster is the largest A level provider in Doncaster. The college opened with 470 Year 12 students in its first year, growing to 950 in Year 2, with both Year 12 and Year 13. The college draws students from every school in Doncaster and Retford, with additional students travelling to the college from elsewhere. The college currently has received over 1300 applications for September 2019. New College Bradford opens in September 2019 with a £19 million complex in Bradford city centre.
Your New College
New College Doncaster opened in September 2017 with 470 students, the largest number of students for an opening year of any free school in the country.
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New College Doncaster
FAQs 26
Your New College
What if I change my mind about my subject choices? Not a problem. Just let us know by emailing studentservices@ncdoncaster. ac.uk. You can also change subjects at the induction day in July, or when you come to enrol. Changing subjects will obviously depend on there being space available on the course, and you achieving the subject entry requirements.
What if I don’t get the grades I need? Don’t panic! For now, just keep working hard to get the best grades you can. Remember that all of your subjects are important. We offer 55 courses all with different entry requirements, so if things don’t go quite to plan we’ll explore all of the other options that are available to you.
What if I’ve also applied to my school sixth form? That’s no problem. Remember that you are free to apply to as many places as you like and you don’t have to make your final decision until after your GCSE results, when you officially enrol. At this stage, any places you accept are simply provisional (and you can accept places at more than just one place, for the time being).
What if I haven’t been to a New College Taster Day? Lots of students will have spent a day with us, but it doesn’t matter if you haven’t. If you accept your conditional offer we’ll invite you to spend a day with us in July – your induction day – a great chance to get settled in and to find out more about the college before enrolling officially after the summer.
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NEW COLLEGE DONCASTER Hurst Lane, Auckley, Doncaster, DN9 3HG Phone: 01302 976777 Email: enquiries@ncdoncaster.ac.uk