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NCPONTEFRACT
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PRINCIPAL’S WELCOME
YOUR SENIOR TEAM
YOUR SIXTH FORM COLLEGE
YOUR STEPS TO ENROLLING
YOUR SUBJECT CHOICES
YOUR PROGRESS & ACADEMIC SUPPORT
YOUR PROGRESSION & NEXT STEPS
YOUR WELLBEING & SUPPORT
DIRECTED INDEPENDENT LEARNING
YOUR ASPIRATIONS
YOUR ENRICHMENT
SUPER CURRICULAR PROGRAMMES
YOUR TRAVEL OPTIONS
YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
WHAT OUR STUDENTS SAY VARSITY
OFSTED OUTSTANDING PROVIDER
Many congratulations on receiving a conditional offer to study at New College Pontefract from September. We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with you on the next step of your learning journey, but before you join us you will need to complete the hurdle of your GCSEs.
These genuinely make a difference to the opportunities available to you after college, so I know you will want to work hard at ensuring they are as strong as possible.
To give you something positive to look forward to, this booklet provides a more detailed picture of all the benefits of joining us at New College in September, once this summer’s exams are over.
If you have any other questions after reading it, we look froward to answering them at your NCP Induction Day when we see you in July.
Until then, good luck with the rest of your GCSEs and keep up the hard work.
Welcome Welcome


Your senior teaM

As Co-Principal my main role is to ensure that you receive the highest quality education during your time at New College. I work closely with teaching staff to ensure that high standards are consistent throughout all subjects and qualifications, so that students are able to achieve the best possible outcomes. Part of my role involves checking that students are being provided with all the information, resources and skills that they need to succeed, and also that students are using these tools effectively. You will see me frequently around college and I am very much looking forward to meeting our new year group. I teach Physical Education and I believe that every young person deserves the best education possible to enable them to excel in their chosen futures!

One of my main roles is to ensure that your transition from school to college is as smooth as possible. This can be a daunting time for any young adult and making the decision about where to study post 16, and which courses to choose, are most likely the biggest decisions of your life so far. Once you are at college, I want to ensure that you have an amazing experience both inside and outside of the classroom and that we enable you to continue to grow as an individual, to leave completely ready for the next journey in your life. I’m a Maths teacher who is not only passionate about my subject but also about helping young people to become all they can be. You will see me around the college on a daily basis and I’m really excited about getting to know our next group of Year 12 students.

As Assistant Principal for Achievement and Support I oversee and line manage pastoral support services including Progress Tutors, Study Support, Safeguarding and Counselling. As part of my achievement focus, I make sure support is put in place, where required, to ensure students achieve their desired outcomes. I am also one of the Progress Tutors within college.

I am the Assistant Principal responsible for Teaching for Learning. My role is to ensure that students get an outstanding experience in the classroom. My background is in Psychology, so I train teachers how to use effective strategies to enhance student learning and memory. You can expect to see me coming in and out of lessons across the college, as I love to see what’s going on!

I am the Assistant Principal overseeing all Applied General qualifications at college, such as BTECs, Cambridge Technicals, CACHE, UAL and WJEC qualifications. I also lead on behaviour management in college, and teach in the PE and Sport department.

As Assistant Principal for Quality and Standards, it is my responsibility to assure that all students receive a consistently high level of education that is challenging, engaging, and purposeful. I work alongside our teaching staff to ensure that high expectations are upheld and that you have effective support and intervention in place to reach your potential. I teach Sociology and love sharing my passion for the subject with the students in my classroom.
Your Sixth Form College
New College Pontefract is an academic sixth form which is different to both a school sixth form and a general Further Education college. All our students are 16-19 and all are studying A-levels or A-level-equivalent qualifications.
What matters to us is that students work hard, grow as young adults and find rewards from their time and the opportunities at New College. Our students bring maturity and commitment, making a positive decision to move somewhere new after Year 11, taking a step into adulthood and independence.
Our students don’t wear uniforms, our college doesn’t have bells, and students use a teacher’s first name. This is because New College is in some ways like being at university, and we’re preparing students for university and work. We focus on the things that matter most in sixth form study – your academic standards, your progress, your attendance and work, your future.
Students come to New College from all across the region. We’re proud that our students come from different schools and different walks of life. At New College Pontefract we enjoy the things we have in common, but we celebrate our diversity and the unique identities and experiences that each of us bring. A move away from school to a sixth form college provides many students with the opportunity to express themselves in new ways, to create new friendship groups, and to meet people they might not have been able to meet at school.

Your Steps To Enrolling
Once GCSE exams are over, you will be invited to one of our Induction Days on 7th July or 9th July
Look out for letters arriving in the post around the third week of June. Your letter will confirm which date you need to attend college and will also let you know what to do if you are unable to attend, for any reason.
The Induction Day is all about helping you to settle into college before we break for the summer. It is an opportunity to meet your teachers, to try out the buses that might bring you to college, and to meet other students that are joining the College in September. It is a fantastic way to get a sense of what it will feel like to be a student at New College Pontefract.
As part of the day, you will have a subject session for each of the courses you selected at your interview. In many cases it will help reassure you that you have made really good choices, but sometimes it can help you make positive decisions about switching to courses that might suit you better.
To become a New College Pontefract student, it is important that you are available to attend Enrolment Day in person at your allocated date and time. This will either be on Thursday 21st August or Friday 22nd August, after you have collected your GCSE results. We will write to you in mid-July with details of your appointment.
Enrolment Day is an exciting day when you will officially become a New College student. During your individual appointment we will talk to you about your GCSE results, your future plans, and agree with you the courses you will study at New College Pontefract. It is extremely important that you let us know if you can’t attend on the day and time of your enrolment appointment. To do this, please follow the instructions on the invitation letter when you receive it.

Induction Days: Monday 7th July and Wednesday 9th July
GCSE Results Day: Thursday 21st August
Enrolment Days: Thursday 21st August and Friday 22nd August


Your subject Choices
Helping you to select the right courses is critical, which is why your interview and your enrolment meeting after your GCSE results are so important. If you have changed your mind about your subjects, it may be possible to make changes, depending on availability.
You can email NCP-StudentServices@nclt.ac.uk by 1 July 2025 at the latest or alternatively you can request changes during the enrolment process. Some courses fill up quickly, so we can’t promise that everything will be available, and of course you will need to meet the entry requirements.
Your Summer Independent Learning (SIL)
We ask all students to complete some work during their summer break to keep your mind active and to prepare you for the courses that you are studying at college.
All the SIL tasks will be available for students to download later in the year at www.ncpontefract.ac.uk/SIL and by selecting ‘Year 11 to 12’. Teachers will share more details about SIL and how to access this on your Induction Day.
The work will be either handed in during your first lesson or tested during the first week of term. It is important that you put in enough time and effort to get this right – it is the first impression your teachers will get, and it will help you to really decide if you have made the right subject choices.
It may be advisable to complete the work after enrolling in August if you are unsure as to whether you will meet the entry requirements for your chosen courses.






PROGRESS & Academic Support
Regular formal assessments help our students develop a good understanding of their strengths and areas for development throughout their 2-year journey. Assessments cover wide-ranging topics, helping students to reinforce their knowledge and skills across the full breadth of the course, preparing students well for the final exams.
Alongside formal assessments, are small, helpful mini-tests, quizzes and retrieval activities to help check knowledge and reinforce learning. Students also complete an initial assessment early in Year 12 which helps to identify any support needs, and to check that students have made good course choices.
Students, parents, and teachers track how students are performing in relation to each student’s minimum target grades – challenging but achievable targets based on the range of grades each student achieved at GCSE.
Our Teacher Access Periods provide additional small-group support for students that teachers feel would particularly benefit. Students at New College Pontefract use their independent study periods very effectively, using the many study spaces available within the college. But we know that some students also benefit from having some of their independent study periods timetabled into our supervised Intervention Support Centre, providing structure and quiet focus.
Teachers work hard to provide detailed feedback following assessments, signposting additional resources, identifying additional support where it is needed, and providing students time to selfreflect on their next steps.

Your Progression & Next Steps
Our central mission is to help students to progress to the very best universities, apprenticeships, and jobs when they leave us at the end of Year 13, with the outstanding results, skills, and confidence they need to succeed.
OVER 70% of our Year 13 students last year progressed to higher education.
Whether you want to progress to university, into a high-quality apprenticeship, or move straight into work, New College Pontefract will help you make well-informed decisions about your future. You will be supported through the weekly tutorial programme, by your Progress Tutor, by your teachers and by our Careers Team.
Throughout your time at college, you will have lots of opportunities to talk to universities and apprenticeship providers. We will support you to make decisions about where to apply and we will help you with your applications. We will also help answer questions you and your parents may have about issues such as student finance, the university admissions process, or where to find vacancies for the best apprenticeships and jobs.
We participate in a considerable number of Outreach and Widening Participation Programmes with universities.
Additional support and programmes are available for students interested in highly competitive courses such
as medicine, dentistry, and veterinary science, for courses and universities that have additional entrance tests, and for particularly selective universities such as Oxford and Cambridge.

99.8% A-level Pass Rate
61.2% A-level A* - B Rate 85% A-level A* - C Rate 99.6% Applied General Pass Rate 69.3% Applied General Distinction* - Distinction Rate
These results ensure that the significant majority of students will be able to access the university, job or apprenticeship of their choice, building on the excellent track-record New College has of ensuring that young people make concrete progress towards better life outcomes during their time at college.

- Law - Midwifery/Nursing - Psychology - Sport - Biomedical Sciences - Business Management - English - Games Design - Computer Science - Education - English - Economics - Accounting
919 students progressed to higher education.
124 students progressed onto apprenticeships, including 41 degree apprenticeships.
267 HE students enrolled at Russell Group universities.
YOUR FACILITIES
New College Pontefract is a specialist, academic sixth form college that has been constantly modernised over the years.
Hopefully you’ll have already attended one of our Open Events or Taster Days and had a good chance to look around. You’ll also be able to explore our facilities at your Induction Day in July.
What can you look forward to?
a RANGE OF LEISURE FACILITIES
We have close links with local leisure and gym facilities benefiting students and accessible in a close vicinity of the college site.
a large number of independent study space for you to work in outside of lessons.
bookable study rooms for small groups in our Learning Resource Centres.
use of college study spaces

The Learning environment at the college is highly conductive to successful working.
Ofsted, December 2021
An open access it suite and
bookable laptops.
high-specification
classrooms and equipment.
specialist
dance drama and music facilities.


Your Learning & Support
Every student has a Progress Tutor and they will be someone you will work closely with throughout your two years. As well as academic support, for example if you need extra help with your courses or if you need advice about careers and future plans, there is also a lot of personal support available, should you need it. Your Progress Tutor will often be the person you can turn to if you are experiencing any personal difficulties. They can help to bring the right people together to support students and can be a helpful point of contact for parents or carers.
Your Progress Tutor will also deliver your weekly tutorial. The tutorial programme provides students with the opportunity to explore and discuss a range of topical issues relevant to young adults. It will help you settle into college and learn more about how to be an effective independent learner. It will support you in exploring your options in terms of careers, university, apprenticeships, and employment, and with the applications processes.
If things get particularly tough, students can self-refer to our team of College Counsellors, for one-to-one counselling support. Sometimes it can be good to have someone to talk to privately, and some students benefit from seeing our counsellors for several supportive sessions. Our Safeguarding Team are there for when a student is at greater risk of harm, trained and equipped to provide more specialist support, and to help find external support when it is needed.
Our Study Support Team works closely with students with special educational needs or disabilities, so that students make exceptional progress in their courses, and are ready for their next steps after college. We also have lots of visits in college from other organisations that can provide information, advice, and resources to our students. For example, sexual health organisations, mental health organisations, and drugs and alcohol awareness.
Directed Independent Learning
This is at the heart of every student’s success. Taking responsibility for your own learning is essential if you are to succeed in post-16 education.
College life differs in some important ways from school life, and this may be partly why you are interested in joining us. To start with, there are no uniforms and no bells, and you are encouraged to call staff by their first names.
However, taking responsibility for your learning is a part of this young adult approach. You will have study periods on your timetable where you will be expected to undertake your Directed Independent Learning. This means that in Year 12 every student will need to work for an average of up to 15 hours outside of class, in college or at home.
Intervention & Support Centre
New College Pontefract has a dedicated silent study space called the Intervention & Support Centre (ISC).
This can be used to support you to complete Directed Independent Learning or other selfdirected work during periods where you are not timetabled in other sessions, should you require more structure to your college day in order to stay organised.


Your Aspirations
At New College we provide tailored support for you so that you have the very best chance of progressing from New College to a great university, apprenticeship or job. We’ll ask you to review your career plans at key points, so that we can signpost relevant talks by visiting universities or employers, or arrange for you a careers interview.
We’ll support you in finding high quality work experience especially if you have a particular career aim in mind, such as medicine or teaching, or if you’re studying BTEC courses with mandatory work placements. All students meet employers during their two years with us and leave ready for the world of work or further study.
The broad range of activities available as part of our Excel@NCP programme have been specifically designed to prepare, support and engage all students in their applications to university and degree level apprenticeships.
This includes applications to Russell Group universities, Oxford and Cambridge, and for very competitive degree courses which have extra hurdles to overcome.
We’ll also create opportunities for you to engage with universities, employers or apprenticeship providers within the courses you are studying.


your enrichment
At New College we expect all students to benefit from our varied enrichment programme. Activities are grouped into ‘Clubs and Societies’, ‘Health and Wellbeing’, ‘Super-curricular’ and ‘Leadership and Life Experiences’.
If you’re sporty, you might be interested in the football, rugby, netball or basketball teams. If you enjoy travel, you could take part in World Challenge, fundraising for an expedition to a far-flung part of the world.
We offer Duke of Edinburgh Silver and Gold awards, too. You could get involved in our student executive team and stand for election, organising events, raising money for charity, and giving a voice to the student body.


You could become a Student Ambassador and support your subject departments during open events and as a peer mentor.
There are also many opportunities to join trips or to attend talks by visiting speakers, some of which will be organised within your courses, and some of which are open to students across the college.
At New College there is lots to get involved in outside of lessons and it’s a great way to make new friends, learn new skills that will be valuable for life, develop confidence and discover hidden talents.
If you don’t see anything that interests you, let us know or feel free to run your own club!

SUPER-CURRICULAR PROGRAMMES
These programmes and activities are designed for students that want to explore subjects above and beyond the A Level and BTEC Course specifications, often exploring topics that students might go on to study at university. These enrichments also provide the opportunity to take part in prestigious competitions for bodies such as The Royal Economics Society, The Chemistry Olympiad, UKMT Maths Challenge and many more.
Examples include:
CREST Award
CREST is a national scheme for studentled enquiry based project work in STEM subjects. This allows students to conduct real research and make new contributions to a field of study. Projects can also be entered into the Big Bang and Teen Tech competitions to win further awards and cash prizes.
Arts Award
Students have the opporutnity to work towards achieving a Gold Arts Award. This will shape students’ creativity and involvement in the arts world whilst developing their own arts practice.
Legal Debate Club
Students will debate topical legal, economical and political issues connectecting the law and wider
society. This opportunity develops strong public speaking, influencing and negotaition skills that will support students in their careers after college.
EPQ – Extended Project Qualification: EPQ offers students the chance to develop vital skills essential for study at university. With the guidance of a dedicated supervisor and timetabled lessons, students conduct extensive research to produce either a written essay or an artefact in their chosen field. This qualification is particularly valued by highly-competitive universities.
Research Skills:
Ideal for students considering university, this project hones critical skills like evaluating sources, spotting misinformation, and questioning bias. Upon completion of the project students also have the opportunity to progress on to the EPQ.


YOUR TRAVEL OPTIONS
Transport provision for college includes routes from locations all over the Yorkshire area. This provision is a mixture of either public service buses or one of our twelve private college services. Please see the map for the college service routes.
For more information visit ncpontefract.ac.uk/travel
New College offers 12 private bus routes operated by Poppleton’s Coaches, serving many surrounding areas of the region. We heavily subsidise the cost of the pass to make it easier than ever for you to access New College. For more information, to access the latest up-to-date timings and to find out the latest pricing, please visit www.ncpontefract.ac.uk/travel or speak to a member of the Student Services team on 01977 702139.

ADDITIONAL INFO:
• For all bus routes you should arrive at the bus stop 5 minutes before departure and signal the bus to stop.
• The bus will NOT STOP unless an indication is made to the driver that you wish to board!
• All buses can be boarded at any bus stop along all routes
BUS PASS INFORMATION:
• To travel on a New College bus, you must have a New College bus pass and it must be shown on each journey.
• Timings are subject to change. Please check our website for the most up-to-date information.
Your Financial Support
The College is committed to ensuring that all students are able to access an outstanding education. We recognise that, for some students, the barriers to accessing post-16 are financial. New College Pontefract has a range of ways to support students financially:
• 16-19 Bursary
• Free College Meals
• Travel Grant
• Laptop Loan
• Specialist Equipment Loan
16-19 Discretionary Bursary Support
The aim of this bursary is to support students in their studies. It could be used to support the purchase of essential books and equipment, stationery and course specific uniforms and fees. Students studying courses that involve compulsory trips and visits are also eligible for support with the costs of these. In addition to this, the cost of transport to and from University Open Days/Interviews can also be supported. Students may also use their bursary allocation to purchase basic clothing for college use.
Free College Meals
Qualifying students will receive £25 a week, uploaded onto their Paymystudent account or college ID to spend at any of the College shops or in the canteen. If on a placement or College trip, a voucher is provided for the equivalent value once Student Services are made aware.
Travel Grant
This support is aimed at helping students overcome the financial barriers of travelling to college. The Travel Grant includes an allowance towards the cost of a college bus pass (subject to route availability on enrolment day), or a grant payment to help with the cost of travelling to and from college on public or private transport (subject to receipts being submitted), or support for students that wish to cycle to college. Students that apply for a bursary will automatically get assessed for a Travel Grant.
Laptops
Laptops are available for all students to borrow whilst working in college. For qualifying students, it may be possible for a college laptop to be taken out on a longerterm loan to support with independent work at home.


Specialist Equipment
Students studying Film, Media or Visual Arts subjects have the opportunity to loan a range of specialist equipment including art stationery, cameras, and video cameras. Students also have the opportunity to use the specialist facilities in the Visual Arts department during the college day.

Financial Support faqs
Will I qualify and how do I apply?
When can I apply?
Details of how to apply for a bursary and the qualifying criteria can be found on our website: https://ncpontefract.ac.uk/supporting-you-financially/ Applications usually open during early June so keep an eye on the website for updates. We encourage you to apply early. This will enable our finance team to be able to assess the applications before students start, ensuring that support is in place from the start of term.
What Happens Next?
Year 12 students will start College on Thursday 4th September. For your first two days we will only have Year 12 students in college. The quiet, calm start to the term will help you to settle in and enjoy getting used to the new environment.
Your first day will start with a welcome from the Principal and an introductory tutorial, before beginning your first lessons later in the morning.
Over the course of the first week, which we call Freshers’ Week, you will have the opportunity to sign up to a wide range of extra-curricular enrichment and sporting programmes that will take place over the year.
We hope you are feeling excited about joining the College that we are so proud of. You will quickly settle in, make new friends, consolidate your friendships from school, and find your way around. Although we hope you will have made well-considered decisions about your course choices, there will be opportunities to review this during the early part of the term.
Term Dates
Term dates for next academic year are published on our website at https://ncpontefract.ac.uk/term-key-dates/. Please note that these dates might not always be the same as the term dates of some of our feeder schools, and that holidays during term time are not authorised under any circumstances.

STUDENTS OUR
Vanessa Obasogie Sam Kay
A-level Law
A-level Media
A-level Textiles
DESTINATION
BA in Fashion Design at Northumbria University
ENRICHMENT TAKEN
Media Magazine and Textiles
Student Ambassador
WHAT DID YOU ENJOY THE MOST AT NEW COLLEGE PONTEFRACT?
“Great environment and staff that always willing to push you to your highest potential.”

Kettlethorpe High School
A-level Maths
A-level Further Maths
A-level Chemistry
DESTINATION
BSc in Mathematics at Durham University
ENRICHMENT TAKEN
Duke of Edimburgh bronze, Runner-up for president of student EXEC and A-level Maths Tutor
WHAT DID YOU ENJOY THE MOST AT NEW COLLEGE PONTEFRACT?
“The best part of studying at New College was the friendliness and support from all the teachers. I thoroughly enjoyed all my lessons and was never afraid to ask for help.”

Varsity
Our three colleges were pleased to introduce the annual NCLT Varsity Tournament in 2021 in conjunction with The University of Hull.
Varsity is our annual cross-college tournament, drawing heavily on our sports students, and brings an exciting opportunity to represent the college in a number of different sports including Football, Rugby, Netball, Basketball, Cricket and many more. The day is a great opportunity to work alongside and compete against other students from across our family of colleges, taking place at the University of Hull.






Ofsted Outstanding Provider

New College Pontefract, has once again been awarded an “outstanding” report by Ofsted.
The inspection report found that the college’s students “demonstrate exemplary behaviour in lessons and around the college”, and that they “benefit from a very supportive culture at the college”, developing “very positive relationships with teachers and staff in a supportive role.”
Amongst the many high points, the report identified the college’s success with all students, including those with high needs, in achieving “their planned qualifications with high grades”, as well as pointing out that a large number of students “progress to higher-level study at degree level or apprenticeships at level 4 and above”.
A large number of students “progress to higher-level study at degree level or apprenticeships at level 4 and above.”
Teachers “provide highly specific feedback, which supports students to identify how they can achieve higher grades”, whilst the inspectors found that leaders and specialist subject staff “have designed a highly ambitious curriculum across a broad range of subjects”.
The report also praises the “very broad range of enrichment activities” on offer that “almost all students participate in”, as well as commending the College’s local advisory group and the Trust’s directors for helping “to steer improvements and ensure that leaders act promptly and effectively when required to do so”.
WHAT IF I CHANGE MY MIND ABOUT MY SUBJECT CHOICES?
Don’t worry, it may be possible for you to change subjects. Just let us know by emailing:
NCP-StudentServices@nclt.ac.uk by Friday 1 July (subject to availability). You may also be able to change subjects when you come to enrol. This will obviously depend on there being space available on the course, and you achieving the subject entry requirements.
WHAT IF I DON’T GET THE GRADES I NEED?
We offer a range of courses with different entry requirements, so if things don’t go quite to plan, we will explore all the other options that may be available to you at your enrolment.
WHAT IF I CHANGE MY MIND ABOUT COURSES, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SUMMER INDEPENDENT LEARNING?
You will need to complete the SIL for the courses that you enrol on before the start of term in September. If you are undecided between two courses, we strongly recommend that you complete the work for both courses. This will help you to decide which you prefer and will also mean that you are ready in time for the start of term.
WHAT IF I CAN’T MAKE MY ENROLMENT APPOINTMENT?
You will be given detailed information in your enrolment letter that you must follow. In short, you will have to fill in an online form by the given deadline and we will save places on the courses you have chosen, if you have met the entry requirements for those courses.
WHAT IF I’VE ALSO APPLIED TO MY SCHOOL SIXTH FORM, OR ANOTHER COLLEGE?
That’s no problem. Remember that you are free to apply to as many places as you like and you don’t have to make your final decision until after your GCSE results, when you officially enrol. At this stage, any places you accept are simply provisional (and you can accept places at more than just one place, for the time being).
WHAT IF I HAVEN’T DONE THE SUMMER INDEPENDENT LEARNING?
The SIL is a requirement for all courses and MUST be completed before the start of term. It will be the basis of your first assessment, and it will tell us how committed you are to studying with us. Failure to complete the SIL beforehand will give a poor first impression. Any incomplete work will be expected to be finished within a very short deadline.

IS IT IMPORTANT THAT I ATTEND THE INDUCTION DAY?
We would recommend that all students with an invitation to the Induction Day take up the opportunity to spend the day in college. It is a fantastic opportunity to meet your teachers and to get a sense of what it will feel like to be a student at New College Pontefract. If you don’t attend the Induction Day and don’t let us know in advance, your invitation to Enrolment Day may be withdrawn as we will assume that you no longer wish to study with us.