Guide for Parents and Carers

Guide for

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y College it C f o s lt u e College . the res .. th w o e n c k la u p o 10/11 Did y ents in 20 d ally.* tu s th u 4th nation d Plymo n a t s e South W 1st in the

If you require this guide in a different format, please call 01752 305300.

Disclaimer Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that this guide is correct at the time of going to press, due to circumstances beyond the College’s reasonable control, changes may occur to prices and/or the services and facilities. Š City College Plymouth 2011.

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* when comparing with 2009/10 results for 16 to 18 year olds on traditional further education courses (level 3 long courses). Source: National Success Rate Table (NSRT)

Welcome ‌ to City College Plymouth - a College of respect, where we welcome and value people from all backgrounds and cultures, recognise and celebrate diversity, and actively oppose discrimination.

Many young people choosing to come to City College Plymouth believe we offer a more mature environment than school and that they have to take responsibility for their learning. This is true - we encourage our students to take responsibility, support them to make this transition and provide safety nets to ensure there is ongoing support if needed.

Coming to the College is an important and big step for any student - and here, at City College Plymouth, we make every effort to ensure a smooth and successful progression both into the College and then on to university, further training or employment.

We provide a more adult environment than school so our students gain a greater sense of independence and responsibility. They also get to mix with people studying a broader range of subjects than they may have experienced before. However, as I have already said, they are not left on their own! Our Student Services and Student Liaison teams are there to prompt them along their journey through College, helping them to make the most of their time with us and to achieve to the best of their ability. Our new employability centre, theworkspace, is also there to provide support and activities to ensure our students leave with the skills that employers are looking for.

City College Plymouth is in the top 10% of further education colleges in the country for the results our students achieved in 2010/11, and we continue to offer a wide choice of courses at all levels - from vocational qualifications and A levels, right up to university degree level.

Our qualified and dedicated staff have many years experience in their subject areas and can offer your son or daughter expertise in the career they are interested in.

The College recognises the importance of the support provided by families and carers to our students. We firmly believe that it is the combined efforts of the student, the College and parents or carers which will make the difference.

I hope this guide will provide you with useful information about how we encourage our students, the facilities and services available, and how we support our students to make the next big step.

Viv Gillespie, Principal

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Why Should Your Son or Daughter Choose City College Plymouth?

City College Plymouth provides: a friendly, safe and secure environment with exceptional support systems excellent, dedicated teaching and support staff who are experts in their fields a range of sporting and leisure activities for students the largest A level sixth form provision in the city - and all under one roof excellent preparation for the world of work, entry to higher education or university real life work environments and industry-standard facilities high quality and affordable university-level courses a wide range of Apprenticeships with outstanding results a range of sporting and leisure activities for students.

In addition to offering a wide range of academic and vocational courses, the College has: a robust admissions system, in which we provide information and guidance to ensure students are on the right course, and help if they’re not sure which course to choose an induction period at the start of a course to help new students settle into the College, meet other students and make sure that they get all their questions answered. All students are given a Student Handbook that covers everything a new student should need to know a range of support services to help them reach their potential including careers guidance, learning support, learning resources, financial support (including assistance with childcare and help with travel), and personal counselling a personal tutor to give academic and personal support, who will help students plan their learning and review their progress on a regular basis help to enable students to get onto further courses, higher education, jobs or training when they have successfully completed their course.

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Career prospects Coming to College is all about your son or daughter’s future career aims. Our courses are designed to give them the skills and qualifications that employers are looking for, as well as the soft skills that employers so highly value: self-management - attitude and appearance enthusiasm - a positive approach motivation and initiative - thinking and problem solving knowledge - understanding the business team work - working together and communicating essential skills - using words, numbers and computers a ‘glow in the dark CV’ - standing out from the crowd.

What’s more, many of our courses offer additional qualifications which are appealing to employers - for example first aid, food hygiene, and health and safety.

Whatever career path they decide to follow, you can be guaranteed that your son or daughter will have access to the best facilities together with dedicated, enthusiastic staff who are experts in their field, to support their learning.

What parents sa y ab out the College

…

“When our daughter ma de the decision to leave school and attend the College we were concer ned.

However, it has been the bes t decision she’s made.

She loves College, ado res her course, loves the tutors and her person al ‘growth’ and develo pment has been ver y noticeabl e.”

endly, uth offers a fri o ym Pl e g lle City Co ent with ure environm safe and sec pport systems! exceptional su

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Useful Information Qualifications explained National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) NVQs are work-related qualifications which apply the practical skills and knowledge learnt at College directly into the workplace. They can be studied full-time at the College or part-time while in a job, work placement or on an Apprenticeship.

Apprenticeships For those who want to follow the work-based route, there are Apprenticeships (level 2), Advanced Apprenticeships (level 3) and Higher Apprenticeships (level 4-5). Apprentices are employed and receive a wage whilst training. Apprenticeships incorporate NVQs and key/functional skills and can also include technical certificates.

BTEC Subsidiary and Extended Diplomas These are new, two-year vocational qualifications which blend practical, career focussed skills and academic study to prepare young people for employment or higher education. Students can study for a subsidiary diploma in one year and then continue on to the extended diploma in the second year.

AS and A2 Levels This route involves young people in continuous study - one year for AS level and two years for an A2 level. At City College Plymouth students can either study an AS/A2 programme, or combine AS/A2 levels with a choice of vocational options such as business or media.

GCSEs The College offers a one year, intensive full-time programme consisting of four or five GCSEs, academic development and tutorial support. It gives a good base for further academic study and an opportunity to update previous qualifications and improve GCSE grades.

Higher National Certificates These are higher-level qualifications which relate to a particular employment sector, and tend to be equivalent to the first and/or second stage of a degree. They are for students who have successfully completed an A level, extended diploma or a level 3 qualification.

Foundation Degrees These are employment-related higher education qualifications equivalent to the first and second stage of a degree, developed by the College with employers and Plymouth University. They are designed to include workplace experience, learning and assessment, whilst also providing a route for progression to the final years of a named honours degree at specified universities.

Functional skills Functional skills have replaced key skills, and are a new suite of qualifications for maths, English and information communication technology (ICT). If students who develop these skills are more likely to achieve their main qualification and be successful when they progress to the next level or into employment.

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Qualifications levels This is a general guide - some courses may have specific entry requirements (please see our website for more information www.cityplym.ac.uk/courses) or contact our Careers Advisors on 01752 305803.

Qualification level

What do I need to study at this level?

Available courses at the College

E Entry

A willingness to engage and a genuine interest in the course that will enable you to progress into employment or further education

Literacy and numeracy Prince’s Trust Skills development

1 Foundation

A willingness to engage and a genuine interest in the course that will enable you to progress into employment or further education

NVQ level 1 Literacy and numeracy Personalised Learning Programme (PLP) Prince’s Trust Skills development BTEC introductory certificate

2 Intermediate

•

Four GCSEs at grades D-F (including English and maths) A BTEC foundation diploma in a related subject A 14-19 foundation diploma An NVQ level 1/technical certificate in a related subject Equivalent qualifications or relevant work experience

NVQ level 2 Literacy and numeracy Apprenticeships GCSEs BTEC first diploma OCR national certificate

Four to five GCSEs at grades A*-C (including English and maths) A BTEC first diploma in a related subject An NVQ level 2/technical certificate in a related subject A 14-19 higher diploma Successful completion of an Apprenticeship programme Equivalent qualifications or relevant work experience

NVQ level 3 Advanced Apprenticeships AS/A2 levels BTEC national certificate/ diploma Access to higher education

• • • • 3 Advanced

• • • • • •

A level applicants will need to have at least five GCSEs. 4,5,6,7 Higher

• • • • •

120-180 UCAS tariff points A BTEC national award or BTEC subsidiary diploma in a related subject A 14-19 advanced diploma An NVQ level 3 in a related subject Equivalent qualifications or relevant work experience

Higher Apprenticeships Higher national certificate NVQ level 4/5 Foundation degree Professional qualifications

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Personal tutors Each student on a full-time or substantial part-time (over 150 guided learning hours) course is assigned a personal tutor. The tutor is normally a member of the course teaching team. The personal tutor is there to offer help and support with all matters relating to the student’s studies. They are also responsible for monitoring the student’s progress with them.

We encourage parents and carers to meet with the personal tutors, and to keep in contact.

Tutorial programme All full-time students will have: a regular individual tutorial with an assigned Personal Tutor to review their progress; this will be recorded on their electronic Individual Learning Plan along with targets to help them improve a regular group tutorial which will include a range of activities to support personal development and career progression including guidance on applications to university or employment progress reviews will be produced on each student at least twice a year (as appropriate); a copy of the review will be sent to parents and carers of those aged 18 or under on 1 September of that academic year - giving parents and carers the opportunity to discuss the review with the Personal Tutor.

Attendance Regular attendance is key to success and students are required to attend every lesson, unless they are ill or there is some other genuine reason. The College has a system in place if a student’s academic work is slipping or if their attendance is beginning to show concern.

The process usually starts with the personal tutor chatting to the student. This may be followed up with a phone call to parents, before the formal procedure starts. Parents and carers of students under the age of 18 (on 1 September each year) are kept fully informed of the process, every step of the way, and there is a comprehensive appeal procedure.

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Support for students The College has a team of Student Liaison Assistants (SLAs). Their role is to provide informal support to students who are not attending their classes or are struggling with their course for whatever reason.

The SLAs work with the personal tutor and other College staff to identify students who need help, and keep an eye on student attendance patterns. In consultation with personal tutors, the Student Services Manager and the Tutorial Manager, they access the various support services available within the College, and work directly with students on a one-to-one basis in whatever way helps them to improve their attendance, enjoy College life and bring them back on track.

Support includes: texting students to remind them of course deadline dates accessing Discretionary Learner Support funding to help with travel costs supporting students to help them complete coursework one-to-one support and advice running team relationship building sessions drop-in sessions for young carers or young parents.

The College has a team of Student Liaison Assistants (SLAs). Their role is to provide informal support to students who are not attending their classes or are struggling with their course for whatever reason.

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Being absent Students are expected to attend regularly - they are not likely to achieve if they continually miss lessons. If a student is not able to attend, for whatever reason, they are expected to let the College know in advance. A register is taken at every class and any absences will be followed up by the course tutor, often by a phone call to the student.

Registers are entered onto a central computer which enables staff to analyse attendance patterns and take appropriate action.

Part-time working Many students undertake paid part-time work while they are at College and may benefit from the independence and experience they gain from it. However, there is some evidence that where students work for more than ten hours per week their academic progress may suffer. You might like to discuss this with your son or daughter and their personal tutor.

Homework Most courses will have regular assignments. These will be done both in class and in the student’s own time. All students have access to the libraries at both Kings Road and Goschen, which are fully equipped with computers, internet access and e-mail facilities.

Students are therefore able to fully research their subjects.

Assessment methods This is different for every course and will be discussed with the student at their interview and during their induction period. At the start of the course every student is issued with a course guide. This guide gives full information about the content of the course, its assessment methods, examinations (if any) and costs etc.

W hat paren ts sa y a b

out the Colle “I was very im ge … pressed that during my da week of her ughter ’s first course, her dyslexia was whereas, it w picked up, as never notic ed at school subsequent he . The lp and suppor t has been fir st class.”

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Supporting Students on Their Course Safeguarding and being safe at College The College takes its responsibilities for the safety and well-being of its students very seriously. There is a designated and specially trained Safeguarding team who will support and advise students, and staff, in all aspects of ‘being safe’ at College.

Safeguarding incorporates a range of matters including health and safety (including e-safety), protection from abuse or exploitation, anti-bullying (including cyber-bullying) and associated matters. The College is an active member of the Plymouth Safeguarding Children Board, and works with other agencies to ensure that its students are safe at College.

Extra help in the classroom The College is committed to helping all students by giving them support to be successful on their chosen course of study. If your son or daughter has a disability that may affect their learning or participation in their course, we need to be told so that we can ensure they receive the right support and assistance. The information is only used for support purposes.

Students can tell us about this on their application form, at interview, at enrolment, during induction or at any time during their course of study. We respect a student’s right not to tell us about a disability, but the College may not be able to provide the level of support that would best help.

Help with finance There are lots of different sources of funding to help cover the costs of studying for your son or daughter. There are funds* available for books and essential equipment for their course, travel, childcare costs or emergency hardship. Our Student Funding team provides information, advice and guidance about the wide range of funds - they can help with:

sources of financial support, and applying for these

travel options and funding

childcare provision and funding

emergency hardship.

More information about student funding can be found on our website www.cityplym.ac.uk/student-life-and-support/funding. *Funds are usually means-tested.

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Travel There are a number of travel options available to full-time students.

The College has a free shuttle bus (Citybus service 36) that operates between the city centre and the railway station, and the Kings Road and Goschen sites. This bus, and Citybus service 26 is available to all students.

Students who live within the Plymouth City boundaries could be eligible for an annual subsidised bus pass in conjunction with Citybus or First (subject to home address and household income). Those in PL1, PL2 and PL5 St Budeaux/Barne Barton area are not eligible as they have access to the free College bus service routes 26 and 36.

Devon students who have been declined support from Devon County Council and are aged under 19 will be able to buy a subsidised annual pass costing ÂŁ270*. This pass can be used on a number of public bus services run by First, mainly from the Ivybridge, Kingsbridge or Tavistock areas.

Students from Cornwall who have been declined transport support from Cornwall County Council and are aged under 19 can purchase a subsidised annual bus pass at the cost of ÂŁ270*. The pass can be used on the Western Greyhound bus routes (mainly from Looe, Liskeard and Launceston areas), from your home address to Plymouth.

For further travel information please contact the Student Services team on 01752 305803 or visit www.cityplym.ac.uk/travel. * Subject to annual review.

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Careers guidance service The careers guidance service can help your son or daughter make appropriate choices now and throughout their time at the College. In addition to having our own Careers Advisers, we work in partnership with Personal Advisers at Careers South West.

Students can use the service in a number of ways, including: individual guidance interviews with qualified careers advisers drop-in sessions careers information resources higher education prospectus library and ‘Focus on Your Future’ guidance hub (on the student intranet) local jobs board collated from local newspapers and online job sites group workshops and self-help programmes individual help with applying for employment, training and further education both at the College and elsewhere.

“Students fin d the employ ability elem courses and ents in thei their group r sessions ve ry helpful.”

Investo

r in Careers Rea ssess m

ent 2010

In 2011 the College opened an employability centre to provide a range of activities, workshops and employer seminars designed to give students the skills that employers are looking for. The centre will give students direct access to employers through industryfocussed employer seminars and work experience. For more information, please visit www.cityplym.ac.uk/theworkspace.

The careers guidance service can help your son/daughter make appropriate choices now and throughout their time at the College.

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It’s not ‘all work and no play’ There’s a whole lot more to life at City College Plymouth than simply studying. We want your son or daughter to get the most out of their free time, so we offer a diverse programme of social, cultural and sporting activities and enrichment that will give them an exceptional education experience.

Our Student Liaison team encourages all students to get involved in a dynamic package of activities that underpin the government’s Every Student (Child) Matters agenda by promoting personal safety, healthy lifestyle choices, positive ways to enjoy and achieve, and opportunities to volunteer and make a positive contribution to the student community.

All of our activities are designed to allow your son or daughter to get involved irrespective of their age or special abilities. We are proud to offer a rich and vibrant package that allows students to not just make friends and have fun outside the classroom, but also gives them a safe space in which to develop personal skills including personal confidence, leadership, communication, teamwork, time-management and other soft skills that can make their CV ‘glow in the dark’.

We publish a list of activities on the College’s Student Intranet allowing students to access information about what’s on, when, and how to get involved from within College or at home. We also produce a range of leaflets and information for parents about each trip or large activity we support, allowing you to access information about what your son or daughter will be doing.

W hat our studen

ts sa y a bo “I’ve really ut the Co enjoyed m lleg e … eeting new what it wo clients and uld be like experienci to be a st yl experience ng is t. The ha of competit nds-on ions and h air shows is so rewa rding.”

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Parents’ and Carers’ Charter Our Commitment We aim to ensure that parents and carers receive full information about the course, College support and student progress for full-time students under the age of 18 at the start of their course. We will also be actively encouraging your involvement.

If a student is over the age of 18 at enrolment, the College needs their permission to discuss issues regarding their studies with you.

We ask that you make appointments to see College staff, particularly if you have concerns, so that all the relevant information can be gathered beforehand.

Useful College Numbers Kings Road Reception

01752 305300

Goschen Reception

01752 305282

Student Services

01752 305803

Student Funding

01752 305381

Learning Support

01752 305798

College Faculties Arts and Sciences

01752 305290

Business and Leisure Industries

01752 305737

Construction

01752 305835

Engineering and ICT

01752 305835

Health

01752 305030

Higher Education

01752 305876

Skills for Life

01752 305760

Work-based Learning

01752 251866

What parents sa y about the College …

“To the lec turers - tha nk you for all your help and encouragement. Not onl y did you teach my son catering skills, but you gave him confidence and sel f respec t, truly the greate st skill of all. Thank you.”

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City College Plymouth Kings Road Devonport Plymouth PL1 5QG t: 01752 305300 e: info@cityplym.ac.uk w: www.cityplym.ac.uk