Pembrokeshire CollegeParents Guide

Raising standards to help learners achieve more At Pembrokeshire College we take learner support very seriously. Our aim as a leading education provider is to maximise your daughter or son’s potential. Our award winning support helps to raise individual performance and increases progression to higher level learning or successful employment.

The College has a large Learner Services and Support Team who work together to ensure that the appropriate levels of support are in place to suit the needs of individual learners.

As a parent or guardian we also have a responsibility to you; we are accessible, flexible and more importantly we want the same as you do...success!

Estyn judge the College’s well-being to be excellent and the College’s care, support and guidance to be good (Estyn 2011).

• A team of Learner Coaches ensure that learners understand and commit to a learning pathway which will improve their chances of success. The Learner Coaches support a range of learning and personal needs and through their assessment will signpost learners to appropriate support, including: specialist support, health advice, financial guidance, and essential skills support.

• A Positive Behaviour Coach supports learners on a one-to-one basis and addresses any confidence, self-esteem, stress or anger management issues that learners may be experiencing.

• A College Counsellor who is Assist trained, provides one-to-one, group and online counselling.

• A College Nurse is trained in all aspects of school and paediatric nursing. She is also a trained Choices Officer for substance misuse and Assist trained.

• A Specialist Support Assessor provides access arrangements, reasonable adjustments, and a diagnostic assessment for examination arrangements. This includes appropriate adjustments for learners with disabilities and learning difficulties in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

• A team of Skills Support Advisors

provide support for GCSE’s, essential and basic skills needs, assignment support, proof-reading and checking that assignment tasks have been completed. This support is provided on a drop in or timetabled basis for individuals or groups of learners.

• An extensive team of Learning Support Assistants (LSA’s) provide classroom, workshop and drop in support on a one-to-one and group basis. The support varies from assisting the teaching staff with classroom management supporting individual needs, including literacy and numeracy. The LSA team also provide personal support to assist in day-to-day activities such as mobility, medical needs and general care.

• An Interdenominational Chaplain provides confidential pastoral support for students of all faiths or no faith.

• Access to the Financial Contingency Fund to help students with a contribution towards essential course costs such as books, equipment and uniform. Students can also apply for an Educational Maintenance Allowance, which helps students with the costs of studying in College. Both awards are means tested.

If you have any questions about the above support roles please contact us on 01437 753 303.

Access to Specialist Pastoral and Learning Support Personnel and Services

More Able and Talented (MAT)

Although the College is renowned for its excellent vocational courses and training, increasingly many students are opting to study for their A-levels with us. Our support is designed for all styles of learning which also includes those students wishing to enter medical school or a top university at home or abroad.

More Able and Talented learnersAs part of the MAT Programme, the College: • Provides mentoring by external specialists for the Oxbridge and Medical school

programmes. • Organises mock interviews with an Oxbridge consultant. • Awards Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) scholarships to help

support learners financially while they study.• Encourages entry to the Russell Group of Universities. • Supports learners to attend Vet Med and Medlink conferences. • Arranges for all potential Russell Group and Oxbridge applicants to attend an

event at the Liberty Stadium. • Sets aspirational targets through the tutorial programme, and learners receive

personalised approaches to enable them to develop and progress. • Is an accredited member of Villiers Park and learners attend its courses. • Provides learners with the opportunity to follow Young Applicants in School

Scheme (YASS) units.

To apply for a STEM scholarship, or to find out more about MAT, please call our Head of Safeguarding and Learning Services, Maxine Thomas:01437 753 245 or email ma.thomas@pembrokeshire.ac.uk

Personal Tutorials: Personal Tutors are assigned to learners and all learners receive two hours of tutorial support per week. The tutorial programme ensures all learners receive a consistent and appropriate level of support, advice and guidance. This can be in group sessions or on an individual basis.

All students agree a code of conduct at the outset of their course which leads to a sense of shared responsibility. A Student Disciplinary Policy is in place and there is a dedicated resource to work with any student who is at risk of disengagement. Attendance is monitored electronically at every lesson and any unauthorised absences followed up immediately. There is a full-time Student Disciplinary Officer who works with learners to improve their attendance and progression on a programme.

Topics covered in the tutorial programme include: safeguarding, health and well-being, equality and diversity, money skills and study skills. Specialist staff and guest lecturers are involved in the delivery of the tutorial programme.

The progress of learners is monitored through the electronic Individual Learning Plan (e-ilp) system which allows monitoring and follow up in “real time.” Parents or guardians can have access to this information.

Learners are set learning targets through individual tutorials and through learning agreements and action plans. All targets are recorded on the e-ilp and are monitored through the tutorial process. Additional support is provided by the Learner Coaches for the achievement of targets.

The College also offers the ‘This is Me’ programme which encourages learners to achieve their best in order to gain entry to top universities. Progress reports are issued twice a year and parents evenings are also held.

Get involved in your child’s progress...For further information on how to access you child’s e-ilp call the learning support team: 01437 753 303

A Comprehensive Pastoral Programme

The College has strong pastoral care arrangements for students embodied in student well-being – which was judged by Estyn as “excellent” in 2011. There are also strong safeguarding arrangements and the College is recognised in Wales as an exemplar of best practice.

Additional Learning Support

The College plans and caters for learners with Additional Learning Needs (ALN) via their Learning and Skills Plans. Learners have an interview with a member of the Learning Support team about their support requirements.

Parents or guardians are contacted when further information is required or support requirements need to be discussed and agreed.

Transport ArrangementsThe College has an extensive network of buses coming into the main campus from all parts of the County. Transport for all full-time learners is free. Learners requiring specialist transport should contact Learning Support on 01437 753 304.

Much more than careers advice...

In addition to the services provided by Careers Wales, the College has its own team of qualified Information, Advice and Guidance staff. The Careers and World of Work Framework is embedded into all main programmes:

• All level 3 learners attend the annual UCAS event in the University of Wales Trinity Saint David with the College participating in all Reaching Wider activities and the Swansea University Summer School.

• All learners have the opportunity to be supported with Work Related Education (WRE) or work placements.

• The College works widely with the Sector Skills Councils. Visits are made to relevant industries and there is also extensive participation in WorldSkills competitions.

• The ‘This is Me‘ programme is proving to be very successful in the preparation of learners for interviews, for both employment and higher education.

• The College also encourages and supports Milk Round activities, where employers actively come into the College to recruit learners, not only for employment but also for apprenticeships and higher apprenticeship programmes.

Latest ESTYN inspection for Work-based Learning (WBL):(WBL: Apprenticeship training and low level engagement and traineeship programmes) • Teaching - GOOD• Student Well-being - GOOD• Provision - GOOD• Care, Support and Guidance - GOOD• Leadership - EXCELLENT• Resource Management - GOOD

pembrokeshire.ac.uk | 0800 9 776 788