Working with the College will be slightly different from the way you may be used to working with a school.
To prepare your young person for entry into work when they finish their studies, we encourage them to be independent and to take responsibility for their learning. That means that most of our communication is direct with the student.
There may be occasions when the College needs to contact parents/carers. We will communicate directly with the parents/carers of students who are of compulsory participation age (in terms of school years that is Years 12 and 13).
For students who are aged 18 or over on 31 August in the year they enrol and who do not have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), we require the student's consent before discussing their education or personal information with a parent/carer.
The parent/carer we contact will be the person named on the student's enrolment form. If these details need updating, students should do so via their ProPortal account.
There may also be occasions when you have concerns that you wish to raise or discuss about your young person. In the first instance this should be done through their course tutor.
Alternatively, if you have more serious concerns, you or your young person can speak with their Curriuclum Manager who are dedicated to ensuring students benefit from high-quality academic guidance and pastoral support throughout their time at college.
The College operates a balanced framework of support and disciplinary procedures which ensure the consistent and fair application of standards among our students. Contact with parents for students aged under 18 is an important part of our procedures when deciding the best outcomes for students.
We will write to you at different points in the year to inform you about events and College activities that are relevant to your young person. Staff may call you to discuss support or matters where you may need to intervene. We ask you to provide accurate contact information, such as a mobile telephone number and your email address through your young person. We endeavour to collect this information at enrolment.
We may need to contact you because:
- Your young person is not attending College and we have not been advised of the absence in accordance with our absence procedure. This will usually be by telephone or email. For persistent absence, when we have not been able to contact you by telephone, we will write to you.
- Tutors may contact you with concerns about engagement with the programme of study, persistent low level behaviour issues and unexplained absences.
- Curriculum Diretorsare in charge of a curriculum area and may contact you over serious academic achievement concerns or behavioural issues.
- Curriculum Directors may contact you for serious behavioural issues, attendance patterns that will affect or impact on achievement, and as part of the disciplinary process.
- The Safeguarding and Welfareteam may contact you in cases where concerns for the welfare or safety of your young person have come to light. They will only do this when it is deemed in the best interests of the young person and others. There may be occasions where the team is not allowed to do this because safeguarding legislation directs them to take other actions.
The College will host online parents’ evenings in January/February for parents and carers tomeet with tutors to receive feedback on your young person’s progress.
The College will, on occasion, issue surveys to gather the view of parents to inform planning and decision making.
