Principal, Len Tildsley answers your questions about the college re-opening and our September plans!
Questions and Answers
How and when will they find out if they have passed or failed their course?
There are national results days planned for level 2 and 3 programmes aligned to A Level and GCSE results. Level 3 results are published on 13th August and Level 2 results on 20th August. Some results may be available sooner than this, including some results for other levels. When they are available we will send out messages via email or text with information about how you can collect your results and what you need to do next.
When will they get their results for GCSE’s Maths & English?
GCSE results day this year is 20th August. Students will be able to contact the College from 9:30am on the day to receive your grade.
Will things be back to normal in September?
This will depend on the Government and any restrictions that are still in place at that time. The College is planning to be open and operating as normally as possible, but it is likely that there will still be measures in place to ensure that students and staff are safe. This may include some aspects of social distancing and/or the requirement to wear masks or gloves when undertaking some activities. There will still be some aspects of your programme that will be completed online, remotely or through directed study in the library or learning centre.
What are the plans around enrolment for 20/21?
The social distancing requirements in place by the end of August will be taken into account for our enrolment process. We are planning to provide both an online enrolment opportunity and an on-campus service. Those students who are moving from year 1 to year 2 of a programme and those who are progressing to the next level of programme will all have the option to enrol online. At the appropriate time, these students will be asked to enrol online via an email invitation. Some ‘new’ students may also receive an invitation by email to enrol online where any conditions relating to GCSE grades have been met.
When does term finish- are they still required to come in to complete practical assessments?
Although the term ‘officially’ end on 3rd July, some students are still undertaking either ‘alternative assessments’ and others will need to attend in person to complete practical learning activities and ‘delayed’ practical assessments. Where this applies, the students affected will have been informed already. Those who need to attend in person will receive a personal invite and timetable. In these cases, the work will need to take place over the next few weeks and so will involve attendance after the normal end of term on 3rd July.
If I need to come to College to finish practical assessments, will I be able to use a College free bus service?
During the period of lockdown and closure, all College buses have been cancelled. Those who need to attend to complete practical activities or have been invited in to College for other purposes should, if at all possible, use their own transport. If you are planning to use public transport to attend College, make sure that you stay as safe as possible, comply with social-distancing and wear a mask at all times during your journey. If these travel options are not available to you, please contact the College via your Progress Coach to discuss travel options.
What safeguards have the College put in place to keep staff and students safe while at College?
All of our campuses have been marked out for social distancing in the same way that supermarkets and other shops have done. Some of our spaces are quite narrow and so these have either been closed off or one-way systems have been put in place. Classroom spaces have limited capacities and those attending will be limited to fit with this. Hand sanitiser stations have been installed and shields have been fitted to all reception desks. Where the practical work requires students or staff to wear PPE, this will be provided.
Is the College still providing free bus services in 2020/21?
The College is currently planning to continue with the free bus services that are offered to students. The way this works may be affected by social distancing rules that might remain in place in September. Those students who wish to use a College bus will need to complete a travel application form, indicating the free service that you want to use and which days/times that you need to use them.
Will all my studies be delivered online next year?
All programmes already have a proportion of studies that are expected to be completed while you are at home or otherwise away from the College. We will use some of the new techniques that we have adopted during the lockdown to make the experience of our students even better.
Can I visit to see the facilities and meet the staff before I decide to enrol?
We will be undertaking a number of ‘virtual’ site tours over the coming weeks and there will be opportunities over the summer for prospective students to visit the campuses to see those facilities first hand and to meet with staff. However, due to the continued lockdown restrictions, this will be by invitation so that we can make sure that our staff and any prospective students remain safe while visiting.
How can I do online work when I don’t have a computer at home?
The College has a range of computer equipment available in or learning centres that will allow students to book time to undertake their online learning, assignment and homework outside of their timetabled class working time. The College also has a number of laptops that can be used by students while they are at College. There may also be other Government schemes to provide equipment through bursary funds.
Will the Café be open when I come into College?
During the current lockdown period the various cafés around the campuses will be closed. This means that if you are invited in to complete practical work or assessments and you expect to be in College over the lunch period, you will need to bring a packed lunch with you. When the College re-opens for the start of the 2020/21 academic year in September, we expect that our cafés will be back open and operating – within government guidelines applicable at that time.
When does the 2020/21 academic year start?
Our younger students who are undertaking full time Study Programmes will start their induction on Tuesday 1st September. Some of our other programmes and those returning for the second year will start on either 7th or 14th September. Each student will receive personalised information about the start of their course by email and letter.
I received extra support with my studies at school, will I still have this at College?
Any student who enrols with us has the option to self-declare that they have a learning difficulty or disability as part of the application and enrolment process. Any student making this declaration will be assessed by the College Learning Support Team and where necessary, the appropriate support will be provided. If the level of support required is significant, this may require the student to hold an Education, Health and Care Plan and have support of the relevant Local Authority.
