PARENTS / CARERS GUIDE 2015/16

PARENTS / CARERS GUIDE 2015/16

Working Together Student Details We are firmly committed to providing equal opportunities for everyone at the College. We believe that everyone in the college community has a right to be equally respected and valued. If your son/daughter/young person has a disability, learning difficulty or special medication need of any kind, please let us know so that we can take the appropriate steps to support him/her. Please complete the details below for reference when communicating with the College. We can help you complete this when you attend the Welcome Evening for parents/carers on Wednesday 30 September 2015.. Student s Name: Subjects: Progress Coach or Personal Coach: Telephone: Opportunities Coach: Telephone: Curriculum Manager: Telephone: In case of your son/daughter/young person s unexpected absenteeism, please contact: Name: Telephone Number: 1

Table of Contents INTRODUCTION... 4 OUR SUPPORT SYSTEM... 5 THE COLLEGE S RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO PARENTS AND GUARDIANS... 5 SAFEGUARDING... 6 ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY... 6 WRITTEN PROGRESS REVIEWS & PARENTS'/CARERS' EVENING DATES 8 RECEPTION... 8 LRC, MEDIA RESOURCES AND LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT CENTRE (LDC)... 8 HIGHER EDUCATION... 9 CAREERS AND EMPLOYMENT SERVICES... 9 COUNSELLING SERVICES... 9 STUDENT FINANCIAL SUPPORT... 10 PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AND ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES... 10 ADDITIONAL LEARNING SUPPORT SERVICES... 11 EXAMINATIONS... 11 THE TUTORIAL PROGRAMME... 11 RULES AND REGULATIONS... 12 EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES... 12 PART-TIME WORK... 12 SMOKING... 12 2

ALCOHOL & ILLICIT DRUGS... 12 INAPPROPRIATE CLOTHING... 12 DIGITAL MUSIC DEVICES, MOBILE PHONES, SKATEBOARDS, ROLLER BLADES AND MOTOR CYCLE HELMETS... 133 MISUSE OF THE INTERNET... 133 CARING FOR THE ENVIRONMENT... 13 PARKING... 13 IMPORTANT DATES (14/15).. 13 WHO S WHO... 13 HOW TO CONTACT US... 144 3

Introduction At Barking & Dagenham College (BDC) we value the contact we have with parents and carers. The College has a somewhat different ethos from that experienced at school, although we do still set high standards of behaviour and expect all students to take their responsibilities, both to themselves and others, seriously. To help them develop into young adults, we provide a comprehensive range of support from staff to help them every step of the way. This Parents /Carers Guide is designed to provide you with all the key information we think you will need during the year. It complements the important information that your son/daughter/young person can have access to in their Student Handbook. We hope you will find this Parents /Carers Guide useful. Students are now settling into college life and we believe that you can play a very important role in supporting them. Our number one goal is your son s/daughter s/young person s success and we would very much like you to work with us to ensure that at the end of the academic year, they have achieved their learning aims. The most important support you can give is in helping them to attend every single lesson on time and complete all the homework that is set. We have many support systems in place and this booklet will explain some of these to you. We would also like to meet you very much and this booklet will tell you about our parents /carers evenings and other ways of contacting us. There is an allocated area on the website for parents/carers to contact us if you have any concerns, so please do not hesitate to let us know if you have any particular concerns about your son s/daughter s/young person s progress, or any other matter: http://www.barkingdagenhamcollege.ac.uk/en/about-the-college/information-forparents.cfm and there is a direct link if you wish to inform us of a concern. A Who s Who is at the end of this guide to help you. At BDC we make great efforts to ensure your son s/daughter s/young person s learning experience is of the highest quality. We will often refer to them in literature as the student, as this term appropriately encapsulates our approach to education. If you have any suggestions or queries regarding this guide, please contact either: Julie Maling IAG & Parental Involvement Manager (0203 667 0127) or Demi Stylianous Head of Quality & Transforming Learning (0203 667 0110) at Barking & Dagenham College Dagenham Road Romford RM7 0XU Telephone: 0208 090 3020 4

Our Support System We encourage all students to approach our staff with any concerns they might have. For students studying on a Level 1 or Level 2 course our students have been allocated a Progress Coach and for students studying on a Level 3 course it is a Personal Coach, who has responsibility for ensuring that the individual students in his/her Tutor Group achieve their potential. We encourage parents and carers to contact the Progress/Personal Coach if they have any concerns regarding the young person s progress. Progress/Personal Coaches are supported by Opportunities Coaches to whom more difficult or complex support matters are referred. There are also specialist services to which students can be referred. These include information, advice and guidance on careers, counselling, welfare, mentoring, motivational coaching, enrichment studies, additional learning support and student financial support. Tutorials are held weekly for full time 16 to 18 year old students. These are important sessions. Students follow a structured programme of personal and social education, careers, higher education and importance is given on entrepreneurialship and preparing for work, together with one-to-one monitoring of their progress. Students will regularly discuss progress with their P Coach and set and monitor targets for improvement. Student attendance and punctuality is also formally monitored in these sessions. Every course has a Course Leader who will usually write the references for their tutees when requested. The College s Responsibility to Provide Information to Parents and Guardians In general, the law regards young people under the age of 18 as dependent upon their parents/carers to maintain responsibility for their actions. Once a young person has passed the age of 18, they are regarded as fully responsible for their own actions. At BDC we will keep you informed about issues affecting your young person s academic progress. There is clearly a particular issue where a student becomes 18 years of age during their course of study and, in such cases, we believe that it is in the best interests of both the young person and their parent(s)/carer that information on academic performance, attendance etc. continues to be provided until the end of the academic year. However, consistent with the Child Protection Act and the Data Protection Act 1998, we are not able to ignore an express wish from a student if he/she does not wish certain information to be released to their parent(s)/carers. If the College is unhappy about a young person s refusal to allow releasing information to you, we will still do our best to obtain their consent. There may be circumstances under which we are not able to provide information to the parent/carer with whom the young person does not live, for example, in the case of separation or divorce. We will however always want to maintain effective communication with all parents and carers. Please contact us directly if you wish to discuss any matter related to the above. We are happy to provide a similar service to the Key Worker of any student who is under 18 and not living with a parent or guardian. 5

If you would like to be kept informed of any concerns that a P Coach may have with your son/daughter/young person please let your P Coach know your updated contact details and keep them informed of any updates during the year particularly phone numbers and any change of address. Safeguarding We recognise that members of staff and students have an important role to play in safeguarding the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults and preventing their abuse. We have a written comprehensive safeguarding policy to ensure that the welfare of the young person is always placed at the centre of its activities. For the purposes of safeguarding, young people under the age of 18 (or under 25, for those who are particularly at risk) are considered to be children. We will do our utmost to prevent, identify and report any case where a student might be suffering from some form of abuse, whether or not it is happening at college. Abuse includes: being made to do sexual things they don t want to do not being given sufficient money for travel and food not being looked after properly being physically hurt being emotionally hurt being bullied, this can include cyberbullying. Every member of staff at this College has been DBS checked to make sure they are safe to work with young people and each employee MUST complete the online Level 1 Safeguarding Training Module when they start working for the college. There is also a team of specially trained Safeguarding Officers at the college. Everyone full-time student will also complete a Safeguarding assessment during the first term at college. Anyone who would like to see a copy of our safeguarding policy or discuss any safeguarding issues should log on to the college website or contact the Principal Safeguarding Officer at BDC (Tel: 0203 667 0172). Attendance and Punctuality The College stresses the need for punctuality and attendance and monitors this very strictly through an electronic register system. Success in the young person s course is directly linked to their attendance at lessons and tutorials. Students are required to attend every class and tutorial session, unless they are ill or there is some other unavoidable reason. If the young person is under 18 years old and persists with unauthorised absences, we will contact the home by telephone and/or letter regarding the college disciplinary procedure. 6

We therefore ask you to: Stress to the young person the importance of 100% attendance and punctuality at College. Telephone us and leave a message (or contact us in some other way) on the first day of absence, if the young person is unable to attend. Absences can only be validated by parents/guardians via a signed letter, not by students who are under 18 years old. Arrange employment, medical, dental, driving lessons or other routine appointments at times when the young person does not have a lesson. Arrange family holidays outside term-time. Authorised absences will require proof such as appointment cards. Valid reasons include: medical appointments, job/he interviews, driving tests (but not lessons), sickness, court appearances, and suspension from the college pending investigation. Tutors and admin staff will contact you if they are concerned about any unauthorised absences. If the student s attendance falls below 85% then they are likely to be called in for a disciplinary hearing and they can expect to be excluded from the college if this does not improve. Written Progress Reviews and Parents /Carers Evenings The young person will have four formal review sessions every academic year. These reviews consider attendance, attitude to work, participation in class, targets on academic work amongst other factors. A written progress review will be issued to the young person and yourself. These will be given out during at least one of the two scheduled Parents/Carers evenings, but not at the initial Welcome Evening, when it is too soon to have formal reporting of progress. Parents /Carers Evening Dates For parents/carers with students at the Rush Green site: 1. Wednesday 18 November 2015 Begins at 5.30 pm. For parents of all 16 to 18 students on 1 or 2 year courses. Written reports will be provided. 2. Wednesday 2 March 2016 Begins at 5.30 pm. For selected students on 1 or 2 year courses.* Written reports will be provided. For parents/carers with students at the TSA site: 1. Tuesday 17 November 2015 5.30-6.30pm Written reports will be provided 2. 29 February 2016 5.40-7.00pm Written reports will be provided 3. 27 April 2016 (invitation only*) 5.30-6.30pm * Any parents/carers may attend if they make a request in advance to do so. Others are specifically invited because of our concerns. For Parents/Carers Evenings, you will be invited to meet tutors in order to find out about the College and discuss the young person s progress. Students are welcome to accompany you. We hope you will be able to attend. The College encourages the progression of students into the second year of 2 year courses. Continuation of the course is subject to satisfactory attendance and progress, which is also measured by successful completion of coursework, tests or examination. 7

Opportunities Coaches Your young person will have access to an Opportunities Coach, who will work with them and use motivational conversations to help them take responsibility for their own learning and development as well as their career goals. This college is one of the few in the country to have invested heavily in Motivational Dialogue Techniques because we know they work. It offers a personalised approach to all our students, helping them to identify barriers to learning, motivating them to study and signposting them to the appropriate service that will help them to achieve their learning goals. Reception Our reception team provides a range of general services, so if you have any questions or are unclear about who you need to contact, our Reception staff will direct you to the right service or department. Our main switchboard number is 020 8090 3020. Learning Resource Centre/Library (LRC), Learning & Development Centre (LDC) and Media Resources The LRC and the LDC are the focal points for independent study in the College. Researching, reading or working on the computers is a pleasant and motivating experience in these excellent facilities. They have information technology areas that have been designed to offer students a gateway to the latest in IT. Whether studying computing or not, students can learn how to use the power of IT to their advantage. The College Intranet service for students is called BDC Online and is a valuable source of information about the College. In the Library there is a comprehensive range of books, magazines, DVDs and videos that students can also borrow and they can also use colour and black & white photocopiers, printers and scanners there. A number of specialist staff also provide support from within these centres: Learning Resource Centre/Library (LRC) Ground floor, J block Monday to Thursday: 8.30am 7.00pm Friday: 8.30am 5.00pm Saturday: 9.00-1.00pm For more information, including out-of-term opening hours, please phone us on: 0203 667 0100 or go to the online Library via the BDC online. Learning & Development Centre (LDC) D1, ground floor, D block Monday to Thursday: 8.30-6.00 pm Friday: 8.30am 3.30pm Media Resources Centre (MRC) (Printing, binding and laminating service). M Block Monday to Thursday: 8.30am 6.00pm Friday: 8.30am 5.00pm 8

Higher Education Every year many of London s Universities are represented at the College s Higher Education Fair. This year, it is taking place on Tuesday 3 November 1.00-4.00 pm. If the young person is interested in studying a course at Higher Education level, they can just turn up to the Fair on the day. There will also be talks from UCAS and Student Finance and parents/carers are welcome to come along to these talks. There will also be an opportunity for you to ask one-to-one questions. Making choices about Higher Education can be difficult, but we are very experienced in providing advice and guidance. It is important that your son/daughter/young person keeps to the deadlines that are set for applications for Higher Education. Their Personal Coach and the library staff will support them in this. Applications to Universities are all made electronically using the UCAS system. Careers and Employment Services Our Careers Advisers and the Job Centre Plus are here to give the students the support they need; everything from advice on education/training opportunities, finding a job, training, apprenticeships or applying to HE. Hannah, Tasha and Julie are located in Advice Street or you can e-mail careers@bdc.ac.uk or telephone 0203 667 0047/0127. For students at TSA, Broadway, London Road and BLC a Careers Adviser will visit or a student can access webcam to give individual one-to-one guidance on their options. Workshops will be made available on: Applying for jobs, writing a CV, writing Personal Statements and applying for Higher Education and these will be advertised around the college during the year. They also have a careers area on the student BDC online that is updated regularly, so it is worth encouraging the young person to check the careers site regularly. The careers advisors will also be available at Parent/Carers Evenings and Open Evenings. BDC Job Shop There is a BDC Job Shop for students and they will be able to get help in Employability Skills (CVs, skills mapping, covering letters, Job Search, interview techniques) and recruitment (work experience, apprenticeships and part-time jobs). National Careers Service are available to see students aged 18 and over and they are based in the College and are available Tuesday-Thursday to meet with students to discuss their career options. We work with other local Agencies in the Borough who will visit or we refer for giving advice on matters ranging from careers advice, sexual health to financial advice. Counselling Services Many students have personal problems and other emotional difficulties during their studies and need to talk to someone. The Student Wellbeing Co-ordinator offers counselling in a one-to-one environment for them to talk to someone in confidence. The Wellbeing Co-ordinator is available to discuss something in a student s life that they are worried about: stress, loneliness, eating problems, anxiety about the course or exams, lack of confidence or personal issues such as bereavement. The Counselling 9

Service is confidential and they will not usually discuss the case with anyone, unless they specifically ask them to or they are required to do so for safeguarding reasons. The counselling room is in B Block (Room B117) for students at Rush Green and in the Admin room at TSA every Wednesday. Students can contact the college counselling service by emailing: carmel.lynch@bdc.ac.uk or calling at any time on 0208 090 3020 Ext. 7488. If a message is left, we will make contact to organise an initial appointment with the Counsellor. Students can also book an appointment by speaking to their Personal Coach or Opportunities Coach to arrange an appointment for them. Student Financial Support We provide confidential information for your son/daughter/young person on financial support they may be eligible for through the college. We can also give information and application forms for the Bursary, which is a cash award for 16-18 year olds to help support them while they study. The college may also be able to support with the cost of essential books, travel and equipment. All payments are based on their attendance at college, which must be at least 90% each month. There is also a Guaranteed Bursary which is for young students with greater needs and they may be eligible for the 1,200 annual bursary. Your son/daughter/young person may be eligible for free college lunches if you are currently in receipt of any of the following: Income Support Income-based Jobseekers Allowance Income-related ESA NASS Payments Guarantee element of State Pension Credit Annual gross income of no more than 16,190 as assessed by HM Revenue (and not claiming Working Tax Credits) To apply for this please speak to the Student Financial Support team at the College located in Advice Street or you can call them on 020 3667 0050. To encourage good punctuality every student is entitled to a free college breakfast of a hot drink and toast or cereal with milk from the College Refectory every day during term time from 8.00-8.45 am. Personal Development and Enrichment Activities Students are given one hour on their timetable to participate in a vast range of activities. We strongly encourage students to take part in our comprehensive programme of Enrichment activities. Involvement in these activities will help your son/daughter/young person settle into College more quickly, meet a range of people, gain additional skills and enjoy their time with us. Activities include a range of options, such as: 10

Individual and team sports Creative pursuits Voluntary and community work Clubs and societies Additional Learning Support Services Many students need additional learning support at some time. We welcome students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and the college has a detailed statement on its provision for disabled people. Copies are available in large print, on tape or in Braille. Ask at reception if you require a copy in any of these formats. We can provide a wide range of learning support facilities including: Additional teaching for basic skills Note takers Learning support assistants Extra help in exams Extra time for assignments Communication for the deaf Dyslexia support and assessments Specialist computer software and aids. To find more about how we can help your son/daughter/young person, please talk to their Progress or Personal Coach or phone the Learning Support team on: 0203 667 0248 or go along to D1. Students who are assessed as needing additional support must attend the support provided for them. Details of your additional support will be recorded on the student s electronic individual learning plan (ILP). Learner Mentor Service The Learner Mentor Service is designed to improve student performance and achievement. It is run by students for students. Participating students will be assigned a Personal Student Mentor who will: help keep them motivated, assist with study skills, help them to complete coursework and give them advice on exam preparation. Student self referrals are encouraged and for further information contact Claire Cockburn on 020 3667 0014 or visit D1. Examinations All students are funded for their examinations, but may be required to pay resit fees. There are periods of the year when examination leave is given to students due to the heavy pressure of examinations. Students will be notified where this applies to them. The Tutorial Programme As part of the tutorial programme, all students will have regular tutorials and reviews. They will also cover aspects of safeguarding, equality and diversity, social awareness, employability, community cohesion,self development and citizenship. These include the importance of social and moral responsibility, community involvement, and political literacy. These aspects develop skills of enquiry, communication, participation and responsible action in students by learning about and becoming informed and interested citizens. At B&DC we consider the welfare of all its students by addressing the following outcomes identified as being of upmost importance to all young people. These are : 11

attendance and punctuality equality & diversity communication skills study skills bullying preparation for work experience drugs/alcohol & substance abuse entrepreneurial healthy living - sexual health, drugs and alcohol next steps- getting a job/getting into University citizenship Rules and Regulations We have limited rules and regulations at our College. Those that we do have are important. Your son/daughter/young person has been made aware of these and will have access to the Student Code of Conduct. We would be grateful if you reinforce this. Where there are serious breaches, our Disciplinary Procedure will be invoked and parents/guardians will be informed and involved. Equal Opportunities The College has an Equal Opportunities Policy. Discrimination, bullying and harassment will be treated very seriously and the Disciplinary Policy invoked, as appropriate. Part-time Work We ask you to restrict the young person s part-time work to a reasonable level that has minimum disruption on their timetable. If finance is an issue, please contact the Student Finance Support to ensure the student is getting everything they are entitled to. Smoking Students are strongly encouraged not to smoke. The College has revised its policy on smoking in light of recent legislation. The new policy provides for smoking only within the allocated external areas on the college sites. Alcohol and Illicit Drugs It is prohibited to bring alcohol into College or for students to arrive in College under the influence of alcohol. Likewise, any drug that is illegal or has the capacity to damage a person s health or welfare is prohibited. The Disciplinary Procedure will be invoked for any student carrying or under the influence of drugs and the Police will be informed, as necessary. The police are invited into college at times to support our college s anti-drugs and weapons policies and to assist in random searches. Inappropriate Clothing We expect students to dress in an appropriate manner, which does not cause offence or tension. Students should wear appropriate clothing in some specialist areas, e.g. in Science, Care, Art & Design and Construction. The wearing of hoods and motor cycle crash helmets in the College is prohibited. 12

Digital Music Devices, Mobile Phones, Skateboards, Roller Blades and Motor Cycle Helmets Students may bring personal digital music devices and mobile phones to College. They should not be used in classrooms unless the teacher allows it for the purposes of some learning activity. Mobile phones should normally be switched off in lessons. In the interests of safety, the student should not bring skateboards or roller blades into College. It is absolutely forbidden for students to use their mobile phones or other digital devices to video other people in the college without their written permission. Misuse of the Internet Students will agree to a specific contract on acceptable use of the Internet when they first log on to a PC in the college. Caring for the Environment Students should show respect for the environment, the College community and for the local community. Wilful acts of vandalism will be dealt with through the Disciplinary Procedure and we reserve the right to recover financial losses incurred. Parking We encourage students to use public transport wherever possible. We have a large dedicated student parking facility at the main Rush Green site. Team dates for College Year 2015/2016 Autumn Term (15 weeks) Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2015 Half Term: Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2015 Spring Term (11 weeks) Monday 4 January 2016 to Thursday 24 March 2016 Half Term: Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2016 Easter Break: Good Friday 25 March 2016 to Friday 8 April 2016 Summer Term (10 weeks) Monday 11 April 2016 to Friday 24 June 2016 Half Term: Monday 30 May to Friday 3 June 2016 Who s Who Yvonne Kelly, Interim Principal and Chief Executive Officer Wijay Pitumpe, Chief Finance & Enterprise Officer Rob Whiteman, Chair of Corporation/Governors Demi Stylianou Head of Quality and Transforming Learning Julie Maling, Tutorial, Careers & Parental Involvement Manager Nicky Gibson, Head of Additional Learning Support 13

How to Contact Us On our website you can contact us direct from the Parents /Carers page if you have any concerns by completing the form on our website: http://www.barkingdagenhamcollege.ac.uk/en/about-the-college/information-forparents.cfm, and the Tutorial, Careers & Parental Involvement Manager will be able to help you. If you wish to phone please call: Julie Maling: 0203 667 0127 or Demi Stylianou: 0203 667 0110 or telephone: 020 8090 3020 main college switchboard or Fax: 0208 090 3021 14