Meet the College

Welcome to our guide for parents and carers of students at Wiltshire College & University Centre.

Over the following pages, we hope to give you a better understanding of the various support structures in place at the College – both in and out of the classroom – to ensure every student has a successful and enjoyable experience with us.

We have also outlined the expectations we have for every student when they join us and what you can expect from the College in return.

We want the very best for all of our students and pride ourselves on creating an inclusive learning environment that blends our three core values: Respectful, Collaborative and Curious.

Every year we support and guide thousands of students to set them on the path to the career of their dreams. Every student has access to a range of services, such as our new ‘We Are Ready’ Personal & Social Development Plan and our comprehensive employer links to successfully prepare them for the world of work or further study.

The success of these programmes is only possible through the collaboration between the College and you as parents and carers of our students so please do take the time to familiarise yourself with the frameworks we have in place. If you need any further information or guidance at all, please get in touch with us.

Iain Hatt Principal & CEO

Wiltshire College & University Centre

College Staff & Students

Who’s who at College

There are a number of different members of staff involved in supporting our students through their time with us. Here’s a quick guide to the different members of staff our students, and you, can talk to about their progress.

Head of Faculty/Director of Lackham & Landbased

The College manager responsible for an area of study across the college, for example Creative Arts, Media & Performance.

Deputy Head of Faculty

Manage an area of study on a particular campus, for example Construction at Chippenham.

Teaching Team

Are the lecturers delivering your young person’s chosen programme of study. There will be a number of staff teaching on the programme.

Campus Safegaurding Lead

Each campus has a Safeguarding Lead who is responsible for the wellbeing and safety of our students.

Personal & Social Development (PSD) Tutor

Delivers the We are Ready programme that aims to develop the personal, social, citizenship and employability skills of our students.

Inclusion and Support Team

Provides learning support for our students to remove barriers to learning and encourage independence.

Work Placement Officer

Works with students to find a suitable work experience placement to support their career aspirations.

Careers Advisors

Provide impartial information, advice and guidance for students, as well as supporting them with their UCAS applications

Meeting Expectations

What students can expect from us

By choosing to study at Wiltshire College & University Centre, students are benefitting from so much more than just gaining a recognised and respected qualification.

In the classroom

Industry-trained and expert lecturers and teachers

Staff who are supportive and have high ambitions for our students

‘Real-to-life’ teaching environments wherever possible

A high-quality learning experience

Real world experience

A range of work experience or industry placement opportunities

External speakers, who share their knowledge and experience

Support with progression opportunities to further studies or employment

Support and guidance

Regular progress reviews led by their designated Tutor

Personal & Social Development (PSD) Programme

College-wide support network College life

To be part of a Safe and Respectful Culture

Enrichment activities as part of their course or delivered by the Student Alliance

Student Expectations

What we expect from our students

At Wiltshire College and University Centre (WCUC) staff and students work together to create an inclusive and enjoyable college community in which our students and staff can achieve their full potential, working together to learn and develop in a safe, mutually supportive and nonthreatening environment. We foster an atmosphere of mutual respect and tolerance developing a creative and supportive learning environment in which students can thrive.

We are:

Respectful – creating a safe experience for everyone. Listening to other perspectives, whether we agree with them or not and behaving in a way that allows others to express themselves.

Collaborative – working together to ensure everyone is able to participate in college life and its wide and diverse community.

Curious – encouraging our students to think about their behaviours and how these can affect others, both students and staff.

By asking students themselves to think about the impact of their behaviour and for students themselves to suggest solutions.

‘We Are Ready’ Programme

What students Personal & Social Development (PSD) Programme can expect from us

Our We Are Ready programme helps students develop emotional intelligence to prepare them for what comes next after their time at Wiltshire College & University Centre.

Designed & delivered by our Student Services Team, the programme has three core strands.

Personal and Social Development Tutors

PSD Tutors deliver weekly one-hour sessions covering key topics with recurrent themes, encouraging discussion & debate along the way.

We explore:

British Values in action

Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)

Staying Safe

Progression

We want to produce good grades and we also want to produce good people; people that engage positively in their communities and are equipped to succeed when they leave us. We look at what it means to be a good citizen, how to handle success as well as failure, and how to make intelligent decisions in the toughest of times.

Careers Programme

All students have year-round access to impartial advice and guidance to help them prepare for their next steps.

Our careers advisors work closely with the PSD team, our curriculum and teaching teams, as well as universities and employers to ensure that students are able to about informed and intelligent decisions about their futures.

Student Alliance

The Student Alliance is a body of students tasked with representing the voice of their peers and driving positive change. It provides students with the opportunity to develop key employability and leadership skills, whilst also positively influencing the experience of others.

The alliance plays a key role in representing the student voice and delivering enrichment activities, including trips and events.

These elements combine with one common goal: to ensure that the student experience at Wiltshire College & University Centre is an excellent one.

Work Experience & Industry Placement

Parents, Guardians and Carers Guide to Work Experience and Industry Placements

Work Experience and Industry Placements are an integral part of all Wiltshire College & University Centre study programmes.

Our dedicated Work Placement Team will support you and your son/daughter throughout the placement process; it is our expectation that all students will have a positive experience in a high-quality placement.

Work Experience is usually between 30 and 60 hours to be completed between September and June. Students may choose to complete these hours with their work experience employer on a day release basis, or in a block week during the holidays.

Industry Placements are an exciting opportunity for a selected cohort of student groups. The students are encouraged to complete a minimum of 315 hours from September to July. Students can complete these hours with their industry placement employer on a day release basis, alongside their College course or in block weeks throughout the year.

Please note the following points which outline the College’s duty of care and the responsibilities of the College, student and employer.

• We will encourage and support you and your son/daughter to attend and complete aplacement. We will make all students aware of the role they will be undertaking andthe nature of the business where the placement will take place (including any employerled projects)

• The College will complete its own risk assessment and check employer’s LiabilityInsurance is in place prior to the placement commencing

• On request we will provide information regarding risk assessments, prohibitions andsafeguards that may have been put in place by the employer

• Students will complete an online log of their hours and experiences during their WorkExperience and Industry Placement. All students will be supported throughout thisprocess by their College Placement Officer and their work placement employer

• As part of the induction process it is expected the student will have a discussion with the employer to provide details of any specific requirements referring to medicalinformation received or any other condition that may require consideration, reasonableadjustment, support, or affect the health and safety or wellbeing of the student andothers whilst on placement

Could you offer a work placement opportunity?

Wiltshire College & University Centre are always looking for local businesses and employers to connect with that may be able to host Work Experience or Industry Placements.

If you know of any opportunities please get in touch with our Work Placement team on the email below.

For more information

Email workexperience@wiltshire.ac.uk or visit wiltshire.ac.uk

Safeguarding & Student Wellbeing

The safety and wellbeing of our students is central to what we do, and we have a wide range of guidance and procedures in place to protect all our students and ensure their welfare. We work with a number of agencies to safeguard and protect individual student welfare. Our safeguarding policies are reviewed annually and include:

Safeguarding

Anti-bullying

In addition, all of our staff regularly attend safeguarding training and know the reporting procedures to follow if they have any concerns about the safety or wellbeing of any student.

In most cases, we will discuss all safeguarding concerns with parent/carers where a student is under 18, or up to the age of 24 if they have an Educational Health Care Plan in place. However, there may be exceptional circumstances when we may discuss concerns with the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub and/or the Police without prior parental consent.

At the heart of what we do

Safeguarding is central to how we work and closely linked to our College Values:

Respectful

Creating a safe experience for everyone. Listening to other perspectives, whether we agree with them or not and having respect for others and their cultures as well as for the routines and ethos of the college.

Collaborative

Creating a child cantered approach keeping the child in focus when make decisions and working in partnership with their parent/ carers and multi-agencies.

Curious

Providing learning and development opportunities that create conditions of curiosity.

All students have access to a College-wide internal support network where they can talk about their day-to-day concerns. This network includes:

• Wellbeing Advisors

• College Counsellor

• Health Assured Student Assistance Programme

We welcome visitors to our campuses; however, it is important that we protect everyone and safeguarding all of the college community is our priority when controlling access to the campus for visitors. If you would like to speak to a member of our team in person, you will need to arrange a pre-booked appointment and sign in at Reception in time for your appointment.

Student Finance & Support

Students enrolled on a full-time course with us could be eligible for financial support through the Wiltshire College and University Centre bursary fund.

The bursary is awarded based on individual financial circumstances and is available to give financial support towards some of the additional costs of attending College.

The type of bursary awarded, will be dependent upon a family’s financial circumstance, where the student lives, and the additional costs required for the course they are attending.

The types of things the bursary could help towards are:

• Travel if a student lives more than 3 miles away from College

• A meal on the days they attend College

• Uniform, kit and PPE clothing

• Essential equipment and materials

• Books and stationery

• Childcare (if aged 19 or under, apply for this through Care to Learn)

• Additional costs if they are required to attend an Industry Placement

• Educational trips

• Resource Fee

• UCAS fee and travel for university visits

• IT equipment

• Accommodation at Lackham for students who live too far away to travel for Land-Based, Animal Care or Motorsport courses

Types of bursary available to 16-19 year olds 16-19 Discretionary Bursary

• This is our main bursary

• Household income below £35,000 gross per year

16-19 Vulnerable bursary

• Students in care

• Care leavers

• Students in receipt of both disability benefits and Universal credit or ESA in their own name

• Living independently, financially supporting themselves (and anyone who is dependent on them) and in receipt of benefits

16-19 Industry Placement Bursary

• Required to attend an industry placement as a part of their course

• Eligible for one of the other 16-19 bursaries, or the cost of attending the industry placement is significantly higher than attending College

16-19 Residential Bursary

• Our accommodation for 16–19-year-olds is at our Lackham campus only. Students need to be studying a specialist course, for example Land-Based, Animal Care, Motorsport etc.

• Household income is below £45,000 gross per year and the daily travelling distance to and from College is considered unreasonable.

There are also bursaries available to students aged 19 or over, including the 19+ Hardship

Fund, 19+ Loans Bursary and 19+ Residential Bursary. Please contact us for more information on these.

Funding and Finance Team:

Telephone: 01225 756045

Email: bursaries@wiltshire.ac.uk

Full details of the funding available to students is available on our website