Information for Parents & Carers' 2022-2023

INFORMATION FOR PARENTS & CARERS 2022 - 2023

TERM & HOLIDAY DATES 22/23

AUTUMN/WINTER TERM DATES

Monday 5 September 2022

Tuesday 6 September 2022

Wednesday 7 September 2022

Monday 19 September 2022

Friday 7 October 2022

Saturday 15 October 2022

22 October - 30 October 2022

Monday 28 November 2022

Wednesday 7th December 2022

17 December 2022 - 2 January 2023

Monday 16 January 2023

Wednesday 15 February 2023

18 February - 26 February 2023

SPRING/SUMMER TERM DATES

1 April - 16 April 2023

27 May - 4 June 2023

Tuesday 27 June 2023

Tuesday 11 July 2023

Year 12 Induction

Year 12 Teaching Commences

Year 13 Induction and Teaching Commences

Enrichment Term 1 starts

UCAS Early Application Internal Deadline

Early Entry UCAS Deadline

Half Term

BTEC SYNOPTIC ASSESSMENTS

Year 13 Parents’/Carers’ Evening

Christmas Break

Synoptic Assessments

Year 12 Parents’/Carers’ Evening

Half Term

Easter Break

Half Term

Year 12 Synoptic Assessments

End of term for students

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

I am delighted that your young person has chosen RSFC as the place to study for what I am sure will be a successful two years.

The transition from year 11 to sixth form is an exciting one - new environment, new courses, new friends and the opportunity to be part of a sixth form community. At RSFC we value each and every student who walks through our doors. We aim to get to know our students well and also have the highest of expectations. Our mantra is one of “compassionate rigour”; this means we aim to look after your young person over the next two years so that they are able to make the right choices and reach their goals.

Our students consistently perform at the very highest level. As a result, RSFC is regularly at the top of the Department for Education’s progress tables and Ofsted judges the college as outstanding. More recently we were named Sixth Form College of the Year 2021 in the Tes Awards and achieved Investors in People Silver.

RICHARD RONKSLEY Principal CEO

Our success is a tribute to the hard work of our students and the commitment and support staff provide on a daily basis. Once again welcome to RSFC and I wish your young person every success in their future studies and lives.

Richard Ronksley Principal CEO

YOUR YOUNG PERSON’S JOURNEY AT RSFC

2022

SEPTEMBER

Students will enrol at RSFC. Students receive their minimum target grades (MTGs) and meet their SPDL and subject teachers. Enrichment choices will be made in the first week of term.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER

Student progress monitoring – every student will discuss their progress with subject teachers and their SPDL on a one-toone basis. Individual student action plans will be available for parents and carers to view on Cedar.

2023

JANUARY / FEBRUARY

Students will sit synoptic assessments which will be followed by a results day and parents’/carers’ evening.

MARCH

Student progress monitoring will take place for a second time in a series of one-to-one discussions with their subject teachers and SPDLs. Individual student action plans will be available for parents and carers to view on Cedar.

JUNE

/ JULY

Students will sit synoptic assessments which will be followed by a consultation day. Students will also receive their university predicted grades on this day. Two progression days take place where students will have a multitude of opportunities to assist them in the development of their plan for after they leave RSFC. Teaching ends on Tuesday 11 July.

AUGUST

A level and GCSE examination results are published.

SEPTEMBER

Term begins week commencing 4 September. Students will continue their A level studies.

OCTOBER

Student progress monitoring – every student will discuss their progress with subject teachers and their SPDL on a one-toone basis. Individual student action plans will be available for parents and carers to view on Cedar.

NOVEMBER

Synoptic assessments followed by parents’/carers’ evening. Student progress monitoring begins again –every student will discuss their progress with subject teachers and their SPDL on a one-to-one basis. Individual student action plans will be available for parents and carers to view on Cedar.

2024

DECEMBER

University application internal deadline.

JANUARY

Students will sit synoptic assessments. UCAS applications have been submitted and interviews for some courses will commence

MARCH

Student progress monitoring will take place for a second time in a series of one-to-one discussions with their subject teachers and SPDLs. Individual student action plans will be available for parents and carers to view on Cedar.

MAY

Examinations begin and continue through to June

AUGUST

Final A level examination results are published. University places are confirmed.

THE STUDENT PERFORMANCE & DEVELOPMENT TEAM

CAN MY YOUNG PERSON GO ON EXCURSIONS?

• RSFC will offer a variety of excursions to students during their time at the college, as we believe it enhances their education

• Participation on most excursions is optional

• For any excursions that are a compulsory part of an external examination specification, it will be paid for by the college

• For any optional excursions where students have difficulty in meeting the expense incurred, the student should consult their SPDL, as help might well be available

• For all excursions out of college, parents carers are required to complete a consent form to confirm their agreement with, and their understanding of the arrangements

WHY MIGHT

THE COLLEGE CHARGE FOR ACTIVITIES?

• The college does have to make charges to students for certain additional activities. These are activities that are not compulsory parts of their course. It might be a business trip to a local firm, or a geography trip to Iceland, for example.

• We believe that the education of our students is much enhanced by the many opportunities which are offered, such as activities and excursions out of the college, although they may not always be an essential part of any course and therefore, are not funded by the government.

WHAT IS THE BURSARY FUND?

The bursary fund is a payment made to eligible students to support those who may be at risk of leaving college due to financial hardship.

Support may be given on assessment in a variety of ways, including support with travel costs, equipment, books and other course related costs.

To receive regular support from the fund, students must have 100% attendance and punctuality. Unsatisfactory effort and behaviour can result in the support being withdrawn for a period of time. An information pack which outlines the application process and lists the eligibility criteria is available from the finance office.

HOW DOES RSFC SAFEGUARD STUDENTS?

The care and wellbeing of all young people in the college is of paramount importance. The college takes seriously its legal responsibility with regard to the Children Act 2004. The college actively promotes health awareness amongst students, and each member of the college community has an individual responsibility for health and safety.

College staff cannot always offer absolute confidentiality to students. There are clear situations when it is essential that staff share information with their colleagues, for instance, when there is suspicion or evidence that a student is in danger of being harmed or abused.

Please contact Karen Hutley, Helen Newton, Sarah Stroud or Nick Vile (designated safeguarding leads) if you have any suspicions that a student is in danger of harm or abuse. We have a legal obligation to refer any suspicions of harm or abuse to the Rochdale Borough Child Safeguarding Board.

HOW DO I MAKE A COMPLAINT?

The procedure for dealing with complaints about any aspect of college life is detailed in the complaints policy on the college website. Parents should address their complaints directly to the principal. Any complaints will be acknowledged within one working week.

WHAT IF MY YOUNG PERSON IS ABSENT?

Your young person has received information relating to our expectations for attendance and punctuality.

Our expectations are summarised below for your information. Excellent attendance is one of the key factors to a student’s success at the college. It is the students’ responsibility to have a high attendance rate and prompt start to all classes – this is a top priority. Attendance is always required on references for universities and employers! Your young person’s SPDL will review their attendance on a daily basis and will discuss any difficulties or concerns relating to attendance or punctuality with them. Your young person’s attendance record is available to view on Cedar and you will receive a text message each day an absence is recorded.

A PARENT OR CARER WILL NEED TO CONTACT THE COLLEGE BEFORE 8:45AM ON EACH DAY OF ABSENCE

PERMITTED ABSENCE

Any absence from college will be recorded on a student’s attendance record. The college recognises that some absences are unavoidable and will authorise these. Routine medical and dental appointments are not permitted reasons to be absent and will be recorded as unauthorised. Evidence of absences should be taken to the student administration office situated on the fifth floor. Depending on the nature of the absence, it may be advisable for your young person to speak to their SPDL.

THE FOLLOWING ARE EXAMPLES OF PERMITTED ABSENCE:

• Hospital or orthodontist appointments which cannot be arranged outside college hours, backed by evidence of an appointment card or letter from the health provider to student administration

• A family bereavement

• Attendance at a family funeral, a letter/phone call is required from your parent/carer

• Religious festivals notified in advance (24 hours) by a letter/phone call from your parent/carer

• Visit to a university to attend an open day or interview; a career related interview or audition, production of a letter/email to your young person’s SPDL is required beforehand

• Driving test and theory test (not a driving lesson), and evidence is required

UNAUTHORISED ABSENCE

All other absences will be classed as unauthorised. These are absences where there are not adequate reasons to justify missing classes. As with all absences, a parent or carer will need to contact the college before 8:45am on each day of absence. The college has a commitment to notify the main contact students supplied on their application form about unauthorised absences. On each day of absence we will send a text message to the main contact even if they have phoned to notify the college of your absence. Your SPDL will discuss any unauthorised absences with you each week.

NOTE: If there is no alternative available and the reason is an acceptable one, the absence will be authorised (permitted absence).

THE FOLLOWING ARE EXAMPLES OF UNAUTHORISED ABSENCE:

• Illness (your young person’s SPDL will discuss any specific support arrangements they require for longer term illnesses and any unique circumstances they may have)

• Holidays during term time

• Doctor/dentist appointments

• Part-time or full-time work

• Leisure activities

• Birthdays or similar celebrations

• Religious festivals not notified at least 24 hours in advance

• Babysitting for younger siblings/ family members

• Accompanying family members to appointments

• Driving lessons

• Exclusion from lessons or the college site

• Any permitted absence where evidence is required but has not been provided

MONITORING YOUR YOUNG PERSON’S ATTENDANCE

Your young person’s attendance data will be available to view on a live basis on Cedar; the college portal. If your young person thinks that their attendance record is incorrect, they should discuss the issue with the teacher concerned. Marks will not be changed where prior evidence was required but not produced in advance.

HOW

TO

ADVISE THE COLLEGE THAT YOUR YOUNG PERSON IS GOING TO BE ABSENT

UNPLANNED ABSENCES

A parent/carer should ring the attendance line on 01706 769819 before 8:45am on each day of absence. You will need the following information:

• Your young person’s full name and date of birth

• Reason for absence

• First date of absence (and time, if less than a full day)

• Last date of absence, if known (and time, if less than a full day)

ILLNESS DURING THE COLLEGE DAY

If your young person is at college and feel they have to go home early, they will need to see their SPDL. If the SPDL supports their absence, your young person’s main contact will be informed that they are going home.

PLANNED ABSENCES

Prior to the planned absence, your young person should visit the student administration office, taking any evidence they can provide. Your young person will be advised whether their absence will be classed as a permitted absence or an unauthorised absence.

Religious holidays must be notified at least 24 hours in advance to be classed as a permitted absence.

COLLEGE RELATED TRIPS AND VISITS

If your young person is going to be absent from any subject or enrichment classes because they have an activity planned in a different subject, their absence will be permitted. Students are asked to inform teachers of any lessons they will miss in advance.

ARRIVING LATE

If a student arrives late they should go straight to class where they will be marked present, but late. Students are asked to speak to their teacher at the end of the class to explain the reason for their lateness and to check that they have not been marked as absent. If a student arrives late for class on a regular basis, their teacher will discuss this with them and may speak with their SPDL. Your young person’s SPDL will speak with them about any patterns of unacceptable punctuality.

If a student has arrived so late that they have missed a class and they think the reason may be a permitted one, they should go to the student administration office when they have their next break. If your young person knows they are going to miss a class due to lateness, they should inform the student administration office on the attendance line. Your young person’s main contact will receive a text message each day they miss one or more lessons due to lateness.

ATTENDANCE LINE:

RSFC10

The RSFC 10 is the Student Learning Agreement – their contract with RSFC.

We want every single student to succeed and we will go the extra mile to get them to where they want to be. It is a partnership and we will work as a team; we don’t expect any RSFC student to be subject to the RSFC disciplinary system.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF MY YOUNG PERSON’S STUDENT PERFORMANCE AND DEVELOPMENT LEADER (SPDL)?

All students will have an SPDL who will closely monitor their academic progress, and encourage them to achieve their potential throughout their time at college. Their SPDL is the one person who will have an overview of their academic and personal development and ensure that they are on track. The care they receive will ensure that they feel supported to face the challenges they experience in this critical time of their life. In many ways, the SPDL is like the head of year or achievement leader role in a school.

The role of the SPDL is central to everything students do.

Their SPDL will be there to guide them through their course and is the key person who will really get to know them whilst at college. In many ways, their SPDL will be the professional and critical friend who is their first line of support. They will have a range of informal and formal conversations with their SPDL, including weekly group tutorials and regular one-to-one sessions as part of the college progress monitoring process.

Have high expectations of yourself and your college

Treat all fellow students and the staff with respect

Attend all lessons on time with the correct equipment

Always complete classwork and homework to the best of your ability

Be respectful of the college environment, complete work quietly and tidy away after yourself

Take responsibility for your own learning, use study periods wisely, attend revision sessions and seek help from the subject teachers when needed

Behave appropriately around college

Wear your Student I.D. card at all times and ensure it is visible

Book holidays outside of term time

As part of the monitoring process, your young person’s SPDL will create an action plan on Cedar including targets for your them to complete. This will be available to view on Cedar. You will also be invited to attend a parents’/carers’ evening to discuss your young person’s progress. We will communicate with parents/carers via email. Please log-in to Cedar to check your details are up-to-date. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Do not let part-time work interfere with college work

IS THERE A DISCIPLINARY CODE?

At RSFC, we believe in entering into a partnership with every single student who walks through our doors – there is no ‘them and us’, staff and students work as a team. We believe in some basic principles. Everyone in the college has the responsibility to help create a happy learning environment. Put simply, we want everyone to feel as though they are treated as an individual, an exception and a valued person.

We do not apologise for having high expectations and we expect all students to respond positively to the warm partnership existing between students and staff – that is the way it is at RSFC! On the rare occasion that we have concerns about progress or behaviour, students may be subject to the RSFC disciplinary system as outlined here:

ACADEMIC UNDERPERFORMANCE

Academic underperformance may be caused by issues such as poor attendance and punctuality, a lack of work, poor time management or too many outside commitments. This type of problem will inevitably impact upon the outcomes for the student and the reaction to it by RSFC is to minimise the impact and to provide supportive systems to enable improvement in academic performance.

INFORMAL STAGE

If a teacher has concerns regarding a student’s progress in their subject, in the first instance they will discuss this with the student to identify where improvements can be made, where action can and needs to be taken, and offer immediate support/ interventions. This is normal practice and outside the scope of this policy. However, should these concerns be prolonged, the informal stage will commence.

SPDL INVOLVEMENT

In the event that such measures prove to be ineffective, the teacher, student and SPDL will devise an action plan to address the areas of concern.

STAGE 1 CONTRACT

If these actions are not completed within the agreed timescale, a stage 1 contract may be put in place by the SPDL and the parent/carer will be informed.

STAGE 2 CONTRACT

In exceptional circumstances, where it is deemed that the student is failing to respond positively to the support on offer and no progress is being made, the SPDL will consult with a member of the senior leadership team (SLT) and may decide to escalate this to a stage 2 contract. Before initiating a stage 2 contract, the member of SLT will normally call a meeting, to which the student, their subject teachers, SPDL and parents/carers will be invited.

BEHAVIOUR AND CONDUCT

By signing the learning agreement (the RSFC 10) at enrolment, students are accepting the terms and conditions of this code, which aims to ensure that staff and students can work in a safe and considerate environment that supports learning.

SUMMARY

The member of SLT will decide whether the formal disciplinary procedure needs to be followed. If not, the member of SLT will communicate with the SPDL and decide on an appropriate action.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FAQS

WHAT WILL MY YOUNG PERSON STUDY?

In year 12, all students will study 3 or 4 courses, alongside at least one hour of enrichment, a group tutorial and a weekly lecture. The RSFC tutorial programme has been developed to ensure that our students can take their place as confident, critical thinkers who can make a positive contribution to society. Students will also participate in a social development programme during their time at college. Students will also be required to attend oneto-one sessions with their SPDL and any other additional sessions when required.

In year 13, students will continue to study the same 3 or 4 courses from year 12.

There is also the opportunity for students to complete the extended project qualification (EPQ). Students will continue to attend a group tutorial session each week.

IS THERE A STUDENT DRESS CODE?

RSFC students are expected to dress in a manner appropriate to a purposeful, safe, secure and diverse sixth form college. Whilst we recognise that self-expression is part of being an emerging adult, items of dress that may reasonably be expected to cause offence to any member of the college community, such as t-shirts bearing inappropriate language or images, or particularly revealing items of clothing, are not allowed to be worn. Hoodies must have the hood down whilst on campus, and lanyards must be worn at all times.

ROCHDALE SIXTH FORM COLLEGE College Road. Rochdale

OL12 6HY

T: 01706 769800

E: info@rochdalesfc.ac.uk

www.rochdalesfc.ac.uk

facebook.com/rochdalesfc

twitter.com/rochdalesfc

instagram.com/rochdalesfc/