A parent/carer guide to life at HNC
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Helping your son/ daughter to become their best selves
A guide to Level 3 study at HNC for parents/carers of applicants - for 2025 entry
Welcome
As a parent/carer of a student preparing for Level 3 study, we know that you will be keen to support them during this important phase in their educational journey.
As a College we invite applications from students who want to start the process of becoming their best selves and believe in our mission, vision and values. We believe the recipe for achieving this is simple - all students who enrol at HNC commit to our ‘non negotiables’ of attending punctually, behaving professionally, and committing completely.
This short guide helps you to understand more about what you can expect as a parent/carer of a Level 3 student, and shares more about how you can support them to successfully transition to post-16 studies.
What is meant byLevel 3 study?
Level 3 study refers to the qualification levels at HNC – we offer A Level and Applied (Level 3) courses.
HNC is a provider of full-time, campus based study for 16-18 year olds. All students who enrol with us will undertake a minimum of three A Levels or equivalent. This can also be a combination of A Levels and Applied qualification(s).
In addition to this, students will have Aspire sessions and enrichment sessions timetabled. Attendance at these is compulsory.
Eligibility for Level 3 studies is based on your son/ daughters GCSE results. Please note that HNC only offers Level 3 study programmes, and we do not offer study programmes that are designed to enable progression to Level 3. For some students this means the College is not the appropriate place for their current academic profile. However, it is important to note that students are welcome to complete Level 1 and/or 2 studies elsewhere and reapply to HNC.
As long as they fall within our funded age range and meet our published Level 3 entry criteria (detailed in our Admissions Policy), we can consider their application.
College is unlike school in that students will not be in continuous face to face lessons during the core College hours of 8.45am – 4.15pm. However, it is important to note that any time a student is not in a lesson we expect them to undertake independent study. For every hour of face to face teaching, students can expect the same again in work they are required to complete independently.
This means any part-time working jobs must be considered carefully, and should not interfere with your son/daughter’s studies. Please also note that when a student receives their Year 12 timetable, this may not necessarily be the same in Year 13.
Good to know
HNC offers A Level and Applied Level 3 qualifications, which are BTEC qualifications awarded by Pearson. The key difference between A Level and Applied qualifications is the way they are assessed, and Applied qualifications normally involve a greater level of application of theory in a real life context. Applied qualifications translate to UCAS points, and are usually accepted by a vast range of universities, excluding highly traditional universities such as Oxbridge or for very competitive degrees such as Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science.
Choosing the rightstudy programme
Research shows that when a student is happy in their courses, and these support their future ambitions, they will succeed.
This of course means that as a College we place a key focus upon ensuring that we enrol students on the right study programme, so they can genuinely become their best selves during their HNC journey.
The admissions interview is a key part of this, and your son/daughter can expect to discuss why they have chosen the courses stated on their application during their interview. If they are unsure about what they want to do in the future, please be reassured that this is perfectly normal. In such circumstances, we focus on creating a study programme that is broad enough to support a wide range of career paths in the future, giving them time to decide on their vision for the future. All students at HNC receive ongoing careers support, and enjoy a vast range of opportunities to have direct contact with universities, employers and apprenticeship providers.
Each of our Pathways have slightly different entry criteria, and we strongly recommend that students review these against their predicted grades as these are what determine which programme of study we are able offer ahead of interview. A student’s current level of academic attainment indicates where they might be best placed at Level 3 to ensure they succeed – this is why, for example, progressing on to subjects such as A Level mathematics have the requirement for a high GCSE grade. We will only make offers based on a student’s predicted (not aspirational target grades) as these best represent what a student will secure in their final exams, therefore ensuring that as far as possible students can successfully enrol on their study programme on GCSE Results Day.
Our website huddnewcoll.ac.uk has a ‘Pathway tool’ which will show you eligibility for our different pathways based on your son/daughter’s predicted grades. Staff are also happy to discuss these with you if needed.
Some top tips for helping your son/daughter build the right study programme for them:
Ensure you use the HNC website to read about the courses in full – you can also access video based lesson tasters which bring our courses to life
Be open to courses you haven’t seen at GCSE, and encourage your son/daughter to explore the difference between subjects they have studied at GCSE and what they look like at post-16, as these are often significantly different at Level 3
Finally, don’t panic! The application and interview process is all about providing advice and guidance.
Students are not obliged to stick with their application form choices, and we offer opportunities such as a course change surgery before our course change window deadline, so they can make the right choices for them.
Our website www.huddnewcoll.ac.uk provides detailed information about each of our courses, information about what they pair well with, and insights into the types of careers they support.
What happensat interview
We know the College interview can be exciting and nerve-wracking – sometimes a mixture of the two! We are transparent about the questions a student will be asked at interview, and encourage them to prepare answers to these as we believe this enables them to get the very most out of the interview experience.
If your son/daughter has an attendance, punctuality or behaviour record that does not meet our specified entry criteria then they can expect to discuss this with their interviewer. It is not necessarily the case this will lead to a no offer of a place, but we will only make a conditional offer if we believe a student is clearly ready to engage in a full time, campus based education. We do not wish to set any student up to fail and while we provide a wide range of help and supportive challenge, it is important to note that if a student is unable to meet our expectations then their place will be at risk.
Visit www.huddnewcoll.ac.uk/join-us/apply-now/ for further information, including for the list of questions your son/daughter will be asked at interview.
Does your son/ daughter require additional support during their interview?
If you do please contact studentservices@ huddnewcoll.ac.uk
Transitioning to life at College
Students at HNC are treated and expected to behave as young adults – this is why our application process looks at current behaviour in school, to make sure we are offering places to students who we believe will uphold our College values.
However, we understand that students are still developing into young adults, therefore as a College we provide a range of pastoral, practical and emotional services. Your son/daughter will benefit from:
Naturally, College offers a greater level of independence than school – from being able to leave campus during lunch and study periods, to ensuring they are accountable for their own attendance and punctuality. In reflection of this status, students are not required to wear a uniform and may call their teachers by their first name.
This is within clear boundaries. College expectations are made explicit, with clear consequences for when these are not met. We would also highlight that we are a smoke and vape free campus. Students must also wear their membership badges at all times, and report any unavoidable absence by 9am.
• A dedicated Progress Tutor, and timetabled Aspire sessions which cover key life topics such as healthy relationships, and preparing for life beyond HNC
• A dedicated Student Wellbeing service, which offers students help and support that equips them to deal with life’s challenges
• A safeguarding team, who will work with external agencies as necessary
Our ultimate aim is that students leave us as resilient, well rounded young adults who are ready for the real world and are ready to take their next steps with confidence.
Making the transition toLevel 3 studies
Your son/daughter’s current teachers may talk about the ‘step up’ to post-16 study, and this is definitely true – not only do students have more challenging content to learn, they are also transitioning to greater independence whilst learning to balance the demands of study against the increasing freedom College offers. Some key points to note:
• We carefully track and monitor all students, with concerns logged on CEDAR which you can access
• Every member of staff encourages a ‘growth mindset’ approach, where mistakes are seen as an opportunity for learning
• Any non-timetabled lessons are labelled as study periods and are expected to be used as such. HNC offers a range of spaces students can use to complete independent study. These have extended opening hours outside the standard College day
• Our Learning Support Centre provides advice for all young people, and staff will make referrals to this service if a student shows signs of struggling to organise or manage independent learning and/or work in the classroom. The team also work with students to offer bespoke revision strategies and plans, including for those aiming for higher statistical grades
• During the early weeks, all teachers make an early assessment of their students, to identify where they can be best supported
• Our focus is on supportive challenge, and ensuring that students understand they are ultimately responsible for their future success. Early support is always provided, but we are clear that the student has to engage with this
HNC is a large and busy College, educating an incredibly diverse community. It is very different to school and whilst most of our students love the experience of a new environment and making new friends, we are aware some students do find the practical transition more difficult.
All students have a full induction, which helps them understand where they can access our services, and where everything is located. For students who need extra support to settle, our Learning Support Centre offers advice and help including a student buddying scheme.
Good to know
All students who accept their place will receive an invitation to Hudd Fest on 11 July 2025. This is an ideal opportunity for them to explore HNC again, ahead of enrolment.
Attendance andpunctuality
Excellent attendance and punctuality is a requirement at HNC, and given this, we carefully review this at the admissions interview stage to ensure we offer places to students who are in a position to engage in a full-time, campus based education.
This is not only due to the fact that this creates good habits in readiness for employment, it is also genuinely vital to student success.
Students who miss lessons will quickly fall behind, and due to the nature of Level 3 study, they will find it very difficult to catch up.
Your son/daughter will be expected to aim for 100% attendance, and not allow this to fall below 95%.
If this occurs, this may trigger the Fitness to Study Policy and our attendance contract system. This is designed to be a supportive process, enabling students to get back on track in their studies and
avoiding a situation where missed learning leads to falling behind. Students who are late to College will have to knock and wait before they enter a lesson, and if this is persistent, again they will meet with their Progress Tutors. It is therefore important for our parents/carers to communicate with us if there are factors affecting a student’s ability to meet these expectations, so we can look at how they may be resolved.
All unavoidable absences must be reported by 8.45am at the very latest, or will be recorded as unexplained.
You can stay fully up to date with your son/daughter’s attendance via CEDAR.
This is fully explained to students throughout the admissions process, and during the enrolment process.
StudentWellbeing
As a considerate College, we care about the wellbeing of students and understand that happy students are placed in the best position to succeed. Our focus is on building resilience, and equipping students with the tools and strategies that ensure when they leave HNC, they can successfully progress to the next step in their personal journey. Students can book a one to one appointment for any matter affecting their physical and/or mental wellbeing. This team also undertake an incredible range of proactive activities, to help students understand how they can take steps to staying happy and healthy throughout their HNC journey.
Communicationchannels
While students are becoming increasingly independent, we understand the vital role that parents/carers play in ensuring student success.
You can expect:
• A regular parent/carer bulletin, sharing key updates and the opportunities that your son/daughter is currently experiencing
• For teachers to contact you both when your son/ daughter is doing well, and when there are concerns that you will need to work with us on
• A Parent/Carer Consultation Evening appointment
• A dedicated Progress Tutor, who you can contact to share information or raise queries
• Access to CEDAR, which allows you to keep up to date with progress, attendance and punctuality
Some key dates post application during your son/daughter’s HNC journey
If your son/daughter has applied to join HNC in September 2025, it is important to note that they will receive detailed information via the communication that is sent directly to them as the applicant. As a parent/carer we will however send you some key information and reminders during the process. Please note these will be via email to the email address your son/daughter shares on their application form. This includes information about how to accept a place and enrol. As a parent/carer you may wish to note the following:
1
Interviews
January - 14 March 2025
3
Course change window closure: Wednesday 26 March 2025
Open Events
Saturday 12 October 9.30am - 3.30pm (last entry 3pm)
Wednesday 13 November 5.30 - 8.30pm (last entry 8pm)
Bookable lesson tasters Tuesday 3 December (bookings open early November)
Applications close Friday 13 December
If your son/daughter has applied to join HNC, they will receive further details about the progress of their application and any interview arrangements via email - they must ensure that they input a valid personal (not school) email address
2
The final deadline for requesting a course change. All requests received by this date are guaranteed, subject to an applicant’s predicted grades meeting our entry criteria. After this point no request can be considered until the enrolment period, when our ability to accommodate any request will be dependent on availability, which is usually strictly limited.
Course change advice surgery: Tuesday 25 March
2025 Book an appointment for further advice and support regarding planned course change requests. Applicants are sent information about this directly.
5
Hudd Fest, our welcome event for new students takes place on Friday 11 July 2025
Students who have accepted a place will be sent information about how they can book their place. Online enrolment: Thursday 21 August 2025
4
Acceptances close: Friday 25 April 2025
Final deadline for accepting a place at HNC. All offers not accepted after this date will be withdrawn, and cannot be reinstated. It is important to note that students are free to accept places across multiple institutions, should they need additional time to make a decision.
6
Students must complete their enrolment registration form and upload a copy of their GCSE results by 4.30pm on this day. Whilst they are not required to come on to campus, they must be contactable (via telephone) for the duration of enrolment (21 - 29 August).