New College Doncaster - Guide for Parents an Carers

PARENTS & CARERS G UI DE part of the

family

SENIOR

LEADERSHIP TEAM

Richard Fletcher CEO - New Collaborative Learning Trust

Brendon Fletcher Principal

Helen Jackson Vice Principal

Daniel Wood Assistant Principal

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Ceri Boyle Assistant Principal

WELCOME

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

We are delighted that you have chosen New College Doncaster. This guide is designed to share with you some key information that we think will be useful to you as parents and carers, and includes details of key people within college.

This is an exciting time for students to be joining the college. After 3 years of growth, the college is now at capacity and not all applicants received places. This summer, the college celebrated its first set of excellent results and we are extremely proud of the achievements of students and staff.

We will be working hard to provide students with as much support as we can, both at subject level and in a much wider sense.

We want to help students be ready for their next steps, whether that’s university, apprenticeships or employment. We want students to leave us with a huge sense of affection for the college, having grown and developed as young adults throughout their time with us at New College Doncaster.

Thank you for being a part of the journey.

We understand that the first few weeks are a period of adjustment for students and that students are finding their feet. Some students may wish to review their subject choices and we encourage students to speak to their progress tutors as quickly as possible so that we can provide the support and guidance needed to consider these requests.

We know that it may take some time for students to get used to transport arrangements and for college bus services to settle. We recognise that whilst some students will arrive with many friends from school, some may know fewer people. Getting involved in clubs, societies or sporting groups is a great way for students to meet new people and to gain new skills and confidence.

A key message that we share with students is that they are embarking on a two-year journey. We know that students won’t always hit their minimum target grade in every assessment, especially in the early months.

We want to encourage students to be patient, realistic and resilient. It goes without saying that outstanding results come from hard work, both inside and outside of lessons, and that progress is made over the two-year journey.

Naturally, excellent attendance is also critically important.

Brendon Fletcher Principal

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PROGRESS TUTORS

The role of the Progress Tutor is to support challenge and motivate students in all aspects of the learning journey. They also deliver throughout the academic year tutorials which cover areas such as, as, college systems and procedures, study skills, resilience, applying to HE/Apprenticeships, Safeguarding, Fundamental British Values and many more. Progress Tutors will also meet with students on a 1-1 basis to review their progress and where necessary put in place supportive interventions to ensure that students achieve their potential. Attendance is also key focus of the work that they carry out.

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SENIOR PROGRESS TUTORS

Sally Small Extension: 414 sally.small@nclt. ac.uk

Emma Johnson Extension: ext. 447 emma.johnson@ nclt.ac.uk

PROGRESS TUTORS

Angela Dixon Extension: 475 angela.dixon@nclt. ac.uk

Gemma McArthur Extension: 449 gemma.mcarthur@ nclt.ac.uk

Sharon West Extension: 412 sharon.west@nclt. ac.uk

Kimberly Goodwin Extension: 440 Kimberly.goodwin@ nclt.ac.uk

Neil Shackleton Extension: 415 neil.shackleton@ nclt.ac.uk

Laura Carlin Extension: 434 laura.carlin@nclt. ac.uk

Suzie Holloway Extension: 435 suzie.holloway@nclt. ac.uk

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WHAT WE EXPECT

OF STUDENTS It is important that life at New College is taken seriously. Investing time and energy in life at college means they are investing in their future. We hope you can support them in committing them to the following: GOOD ATTENDANCE This is a direct link between good attendance and successful outcomes. Making sure they attend every day they are supposed to is one of the foundations of success in their courses.

PUNCTUALITY Unlike a high school, we don’t have bells signaling the start and end of lessons.

However, we take punctuality very seriously.

Making sure students are in class ready to start learning when the lesson starts will help ensure they get the most from their lessons.

Making sure they get to college on time at the start of the day is also vital.

STUDENT ID To help make the college a safe environment for all, students are required at all times to wear their lanyard and ID card and be prepared to show it to any member of staff if asked to do so. The college has a strict ‘No ID, No Access’ policy.

TIMETABLE OF LESSONS Each student will receive a timetable which is personal to them. Each subject will be allocated 4 ½ hours of teaching across the week. This will result in students having independent study periods throughout the week and may involve some students having a full independent study day off timetable.

Making sure they use this time sensibly and productively will be of great benefit.

DIRECTED INDEPENDENT STUDY Students will be given weekly additional work to be completed outside of the classroom.

The completion of this work will be required in order for students to be able to access the lessons fully. Equally, students should spend as much time on each subject outside of the classroom as they do inside. This means they should spend 4 ½ hours per week per subject. This could consist of making further notes, self-testing and continually revising.

REGULAR TESTING Students will be formally assessed every month on the previous month’s work. Each monthly assessment will be of a synoptic nature so will aim to slowly build learnt knowledge and content over time. In addition, our teachers are encouraged to set shorter tests throughout most lessons in order for the teacher to continually assess the progress and learning.

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COMMUNICATION Contact the college promptly if they are ill, or are going to be late because of transport problems. This can be done by phone or email.

PERSONAL ORGANISATION All students need to take responsibility for their own folders, paper, pens and equipment. Being organised and responsible is a key part of encouraging independent learning.

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR CHILD IS ABSENT If a student is unable to come into college for legitimate reasons, a telephone call needs to be made to Student Services/Progress Tutor as soon as possible to explain the reason for absence and how long the absence is expected to continue. The student may be asked to bring in supporting evidence when they return to college. Student services can be contacted on 01302 976777 and then option 2 of the telephone menu.

HOLIDAYS Holidays in term-time reduces students’ time in the classroom and overall chances of being successful. This is why we don’t give permission for holidays to be taken in termtime. We really appreciate your support with this policy.

FORMAL

INTERVENTION PROCEDURES Formal Intervention Procedures Intervention Stage

Sanction

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Subject

Concerns have been identified by your subject teacher. Where progress / performance is a concern, your teacher will agree with you a programme of additional work or support. Where commitment to study is a concern, your teacher will also set clear targets which will be monitored and will remind you of college expectations. Your parents will be notified.

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Head of School

Where significant and sustained underperformance is identified within a subject, the Head of School will agree with you a further programme of additional work or support and your progress will be closely monitored. A Head of School Contract will also be used to set further targets when those identified within a Subject Contract have not been fully met or sustained. Your parents will be notified.

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Progress Tutor

Where you have significant or sustained underperformance across two or more subjects, or where you have not responded positively to a Head of School Contract, you will be placed on a Progress Tutor Contract. A programme of support and targets will be established and some or all of your independent study periods are likely to be formally timetabled within the Intervention Support Centre. You may be asked to attend a meeting with your progress tutor, teachers and parents.

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Senior Progress Tutor

Serious concerns have been raised about your behaviour or your commitment to college. Urgent improvement is required in order to secure your continued study into Year 13 or to ensure that you are able to achieve positive results in your courses. It is likely that all of your independent study periods will be formally timetabled within the Intervention Support Centre and that you will be asked to meet with the Senior Progress Tutor on a weekly basis to monitor your progress in relation to identified targets. You and your parents will be asked to attend a meeting with the Senior Progress Tutor.

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Senior Management

Where you have not responded adequately to earlier contracts, or in a case of serious misconduct, you will be placed on to a Senior Management Contract. Failure to comply with specific terms and conditions set out within the Contract may result in your exclusion for a set period of time. You and your parents will be required to attend a meeting with a member of Senior Management to discuss your continued study in college. It is likely that you will be required to meet with a member of Senior Management on a weekly basis. Your continued study at college is at serious risk.

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Principal

This is the final notification that you will be permanently withdrawn from college if you do not meet the terms set out by the Principal. This Contract will also be used in cases of very serious misconduct for resulted in a temporary exclusion, or for which permanent exclusion was considered. You and your parents will be required to attend a meeting with the Principal to consider your continued study in college. It is likely that you will be required to meet with the Principal on a weekly basis.

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HOW WE

SUPPORT

STUDENTS PROGRESS TUTORS Progress Tutors are an integral part of our support for individual students and the first point of contact for general concerns. Their focus is on students’ progress, both in their courses at college and their progression to either university, apprenticeship or employment.

OXBRIDGE PROGRAMME As part of the Excellence Academy the college provides a dedicated weekly programme of advice and support for prospective Oxbridge candidates, where students get the opportunity to experience life at Oxford and Cambridge universities first hand.

EXCELLENCE ACADEMY The Excellence Academy is a dedicated tutorial system for high achieving students designed specifically to develop, engage and support them in their applications to the best universities and the most competitive courses.

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TEACHING STAFF Our enthusiastic and committed staff are post-16 specialists who are happy to give up their time outside of the class to provide whatever additional support is needed.

DEDICATED STUDY FACILITIES There are many dedicated areas in college such as the Learning Resources Centre, Interventions and Support Centre and many bookable study rooms. These provide distinct study spaces for students to utilise during their non-timetabled periods.

TEACHER ACCESS PERIODS (TAPS) Teacher Access Periods are an opportunity for teachers to spend up to 30 minutes a week with students who need extra support, without having to use regular lesson time. They are used for learners of all abilities and are tailored to meet the students’ needs.

DEDICATED INDEPENDENT LEARNING At New College, we expect students to take more responsibility for their learning by undertaking 4-5 hours of directed independent study per subject per week. Directed independent study occurs out of lessons, either at home or in the numerous college study spaces, using textbooks, online resources and other materials developed by our teaching staff.

STUDY SUPPORT Study Support staff specialise in providing a range of learning support for students with complex and high needs in a sixth form environment.

Working closely with the SENDCo we establish individual level of need, and ensure support is targeted to enable students to achieve good outcomes and progression.

CEDAR Our state-of-the-art web-based portal allows parents to track student progress, attendance and performance in real time, via any computer, tablet or smartphone.

COUNSELLING A free and confidential counselling service is provided for students to access throughout their time at the college.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT – 16-19 BURSARY FUND The 16-19 Bursary Fund and Free Meals scheme can provide financial support to help students in their learning. Bursary allowances are means-tested and students may be eligible if total household assessed income is £23,500 or below.

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INTRODUCING CEDAR

nt de u St

Cedar is a web-based system, which we use for tracking student performance at New College.

Students, parents, carers, teachers and Progress Tutors can see and share information that can help us to keep in touch and up to date.

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nt de u St ATTENDANCE Ensuring that our students attend College regularly and punctually is a key part of our work. You can see overall and course attendance, as well as a breakdown of individual lessons. If a student is late or absent, the reasons will be recorded here. In general, we expect a minimum of 95% attendance from all our students.

ACHIEVEMENT All our students are tested and assessed regularly in order to prepare them for their exams or assignments. Grades are regularly recorded on Cedar and can be compared to the MTG or ‘minimum target grade’. Any concerns or commendations relating to these grades can be found in the pastoral log.

THE PASTORAL LOG Teachers, Heads of School, Progress Tutors, Study Support tutors and Senior Managers can post pastoral logs to inform students and parents/carers of any concerns or achievements.

You can expect regular updates on progress, ability to meet deadlines, commendations, interventions to improve achievement, and attendance and punctuality. You will also find general information logs. This is a good place to get an idea of how students are getting on in College.

CONTACT If you wish to contact a teacher or Progress Tutor via email, you can do this via Cedar. Teachers and Progress Tutors can use Cedar to contact home so it’s really important that you keep us informed if your contact details change.

TIP: Click the Cedar logo in the top left corner to quickly navigate between sections.

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PROGRESSION & CAREERS

CAREERS PROGRAMME At New College we are committed to providing students with a high quality careers education and guidance service. We aim to help students make informed decisions about their future career plans, and prepare them for the next stage of education, employment or training.

Progress Tutors provide career support as students plan their next steps after leaving us, whether this is university, an apprenticeship, gap year or employment.

They will encourage students to research their options and support them along the way, helping them to plan their future, whether that be in the world of work or university.

CAREERS GUIDANCE Students at New College have access to a qualified level 6 careers advisor, who is available to provide guidance to students seeking career advice. Students can book an appointment with our careers advisor at any point during their time at New College.

WORK EXPERIENCE All students are encouraged to participate in the Work Experience programme. For some students, work experience will be essential for progression into higher education.

A work placement provides students with a meaningful and challenging experience in a relevant, safe and friendly working environment. Since September 2017 we have built links with a wide range of employers/providers.

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UNIVERSITY Students wanting to apply to university are supported throughout the application process in Year 13, from completing their UCAS form, through to applying for Student Finance and responding to university offers. Progress Tutors deliver tutorials on the UCAS process, helping students make decisions about courses and universities to apply to, and writing their personal statements, before sending off their forms.

THE EXCELLENCE ACADEMY The Excellence Academy is a dedicated tutorial system for students with an average GCSE score of 6.8 or above (i.e. mostly 7s, 8s and 9s at GCSE). This tutorial system is led by specialist tutors and is designed specifically to develop, engage and support this group of learners in their applications to the Russell Group of Universities (a group of 24 leading universities in the UK), as well as to Oxbridge and other competitive universities.

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APPRENTICESHIPS Increasingly, many of our students are considering applying for apprenticeships when they leave college. Students wanting to apply for an apprenticeship, or those who are wanting to enter straight into the world of work after their studies, will attend employability tutorials in Year 13 after the Christmas holidays. Progress Tutors work with students to help prepare them for writing CVs, cover letters, and support in completing job application forms. All students also have the opportunity to book a mock interview with a member of staff.

Parents, guardians and carers of Year 13 students considering applying for apprenticeships are invited to our Apprenticeship Information Evening, which includes talks from local providers and employers.

In Year 13 we hold a careers fair where a number of employers hold a stand and promote their apprenticeship vacancies.

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CALLING ALL PARENTS, GUARDIANS AND CARERS Do you work in an industry or organisation that might be of interest to young people? Are you employed in a sector expecting large future growth? Would you be willing to share your experiences with young people?

If so, we would like to hear from you.

Please email enquiries@ncdoncaster.ac.uk to find out more.

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WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN STUDYING AT GCSE AND LEVEL 3?

YOUR

FAQs HOW WILL I KNOW IF MY SON/ DAUGHTER IS MAKING GOOD PROGRESS AT COLLEGE? n The college has a communication system known as ‘Cedar’ where parents can access the latest information online 24/7. n This includes attendance, punctuality, monthly assessment grades and the recording of any teacher/student 1:1 conversations. nA nnual parents’ evenings are also calendared. n Parents can email/telephone subject teachers and Progress Tutors at any point throughout the year.

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n Students will choose to study 3 or 4 subjects so they are able to specialise. n The difference between GCSE and A-level in relation to the level of challenge is significant and often underestimated by students and parents. n Studying Level 3 qualifications requires students to greatly increase the amount of work and revision they do outside of the classroom. n Students will take internal exams regularly in order for teachers to continually assess their progress.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN STUDYING A-LEVELS AND BTECS?

n A-levels are linear qualifications which involve external examinations at the end of two years. n BTECs combine coursework and modular examinations. n BTEC students will be expected to meet continuous deadlines for assignments.

ARE STUDENTS ABLE TO CHANGE SUBJECTS ONCE THEY HAVE STARTED?

n Yes, but this will be dependent on places being available in the new subject they want to study. n They will also need to meet the subject specific entry requirements and show an aptitude and commitment to the subject. n Students must discuss course change requests with progress tutors within the early weeks of the autumn term.

WHAT MAKES NC DIFFERENT TO OTHER POST-16 PROVIDERS? 1. Our trust has a proven track record for achieving outstanding results.

2. The curriculum offer includes a wide range of A-Level and BTEC courses all on one campus.

3. Our specialist team of Progress Tutors provide professional, friendly guidance, and holistic support, whilst at the same time monitoring every aspect of the student journey.

4. Teachers are highly qualified and enthusiastic deliverers of Level 3 qualifications.

IS THERE A UNIFORM POLICY? Students do not have to adhere to a uniform policy, but the college expects students to dress in a way that will not offend staff and students.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A SECONDARY SCHOOL AND A SIXTH FORM COLLEGE?

1. There are only 16-18 year old students on site.

2. The vast majority of teachers only deliver post 16 qualifications.

3. There is an expectation that students will work independently out of lessons equating to 4.5 hours per subject, per week.

4. Students are treated as young adults where everyone is valued and respected equally.

5. Teachers are referred to by their first name.

WILL STUDENTS BE ABLE TO DROP A SUBJECT? n Students studying three subjects will not be allowed to drop a subject and must commit to the two year programme. n Students who start on four subjects (students must have an average GCSE points score of 6.8 or above) can drop to three but this must be before the course change deadline in October. n After the October deadline students must remain on their full programme of study until completion of the two years.

WHAT SUPPORT SYSTEMS ARE IN PLACE IF STUDENTS ARE FINDING THINGS DIFFICULT? n Progress Tutors, study support, the college counsellor, subject teachers, Heads of Departments and senior management are always available to discuss concerns. n Progress Tutors will liaise with subject staff regarding what support is required. n Extra tuition is available through college teacher access periods. n Students can be referred to the Intervention and Support Centre (ISC).

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE PROGRESS TUTOR?

n Overview of student progress, achievement and attendance. n Responsible for every aspect of the students’ college experience. n First point of contact for both parents and students. n Will oversee the learner journey from transition to progression to university or employment.

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TEACHING

& LEARNING OUR EDUCATION MODEL Our teachers are trained to deliver outstanding lessons. This is because our education model involves a distinctive pedagogy which is research-based and evidenced to work in post-16 education. It is informed by principles of neuroscience and develops students as independent and self-regulatory learners. The result is that they acquire the skills for learning which they can draw on all their lives, and which are particularly useful in Higher Education.

OUR CURRICULUM We offer a diverse curriculum which aims to meet the needs and goals of every student.

We review it regularly, paying particular attention to its intent, implementation and impact. We also ensure it aligns with local and national priorities leading to exciting employment opportunities and prepares students well for university progression.

Directed independent learning (homework) and monthly assessments all include topics previously learned in order to help with this process.

We use this simple cartoon to demonstrate to our teachers that simply delivering content alone does not work. Just because teachers teach students new topics, it doesn’t mean that all students understand and retain information into their long-term memory.

THE 2 YEAR JOURNEY A-levels and BTEC qualifications both involve 2 years of study so our teachers use evidenced based research to plan out an effective programme of study in advance of students starting their courses.

Each subject will involve repeating topics throughout because the 2 years because evidence states that for students to be able to transfer knowledge and understanding from their short-term memory to long term memory it must be regularly repeated over time. We use a combination of both spaced practice and an interleaving curriculum in order to do this effectively.

Additionally, most lessons will involve some sort of test or quiz because retrieval practice has been proven to be the most effective strategy in order to both retain and retrieve information from and to the long-term memory.

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This is why our teachers use evidenced based pedagogy, to help our students learn effectively.

“Amazing culture and excellent opportunities” Alastair Wilson Elizabethan Academy

“My experience at NCD was life changing and unforgettable” Aminah Ahmed – Hayfield School

“I made new friends and really enjoyed the course” Megan Nurse Balby Carr Community Academy

“Studying at New College Doncaster was a really good experience” Jordan Blore – Ridgewood School

“New College has given me the opportunity to grow and become more independent” Thomas Hanson – Hayfield School

“My teacher was incredible, can’t thank her enough!”

“I have really enjoyed my time here and developed a lot as a person!”

Jasmine Gorst Hayfield School

Elizabeth Middleton – Elizabethan Academy

WHAT OUR

ST UDENTS SAY

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SOCIAL BUNCH

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NCDONCASTER NEW COLLEGE DONCASTER Hurst Lane, Auckley, Doncaster DN93HG Phone: 01302 976777 • Email: enquiries@ncdoncaster.ac.uk