/westhertscollege. College opening times. West Herts College. Holiday opening

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1 Handbook 2014/15

2 /westhertscollege 4 Welcome from your College Principal 5 Who s who at West Herts College 8 Helping students achieve 9 Let us know what you think 10 GEM - Getting good at English and maths 11 GAP Adventures in the working world 12 Parents and Carers Charter 14 Student Code of Conduct 16 Supporting you 18 Financial support 22 Student activities 24 Useful information 26 College calendar 27 Useful contact numbers 28 How to find us West Herts College opening times Monday Tuesday Thursday Friday Holiday opening hours Monday Friday 8.30am pm 8.30am pm 8.30am pm 8.30am pm 3

3 Welcome Hello and welcome, West Herts College is an outstanding college and we regard our commitment to student support as particularly important. This handbook is your quick guide to what you can expect from us. We want students to enjoy themselves, work hard and achieve. Being happy is an important part of this. Our students tell us they love the freedom that college life brings. We also appreciate that it can take a little while to get used to college after so many years at school. And, of course, life in general isn t always straightforward for young people. Professionally trained support staff are always available for our students and their parents or carers. You can speak to us at any time, either on the phone or by visiting one of our campuses, we re here to support you every step of the way. I wish everyone a very successful year. Who s who at West Herts COLLEGE Gill Worgan Principal Sarah Knowles Deputy Principal Sandra Thornley Director of Curriculum Gill O Connell Director of Curriculum Emma Doree Director of Student Experience Gill Worgan Principal Cath Gunn Director of Teaching and Learning 4 5

4 Who s who at West Herts COLLEGE John McMahon Engineering At West Herts College our subject areas are separated into schools, with each one managed by a Head of School. The College s Heads of School are: Louise Thurston Adult and Community Learning Gill Short Foundation Studies Gary Dixon Food Academy, Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy Georgina Jones Art and Design Scott Isaacs HE and Professional Studies Annette Field Additional Learning Support and LLN Roger Parker Performance, Music and Media Kurt Kadiroglu Business and Computing Tammy Nuthall Sport, Travel and Public Services Maureen Daly Care and Early Years Anne Harris Learning Resources David Anderson Construction Lisa Corns Student Support 6 You can contact any of our staff members through the main College switchboard on

5 Working with you to help our students achieve At West Herts College we want you to be involved in your child s education right from the start. There s no doubt your contribution and encouragement can help your child achieve their goals. It is our belief that a partnership between parents, carers and the College helps to ensure students achieve their potential. There ll be lots of opportunities for you to feedback your thoughts and opinions to us during the year, through surveys and dedicated parent and carer evenings. Your views are important to us and we will always welcome and take note of your comments. Target setting, progress and attainment We want every student to achieve their qualification and to succeed and be happy during their time at College. To help our students achieve their goals they will have regular target setting, progress and attainment sessions and be set an individual learning plan (ILP) by their tutors. The ILP will help students to think about what they may achieve while at College, on their course and in wider projects, activities and work-related opportunities. If you have any questions about your child s progress at College please contact us at any time during the academic year. We look forward to working with you. Let us know what you think Parent and Carer evenings At West Herts College we welcome your involvement and as parents and carers, your views are extremely important to us. Student reports are compiled during October and then again in February. You will be invited to a parent and carer evening shortly after these are finalised to discuss your childs s progress and achievement. It is our belief that a partnership between parents, carers and the tutor helps to ensure students achieve their potential, therefore your attendance at these evenings is strongly encouraged. These evening also give you the opportunity to talk to members of our Senior Management Team and complete surveys. 8 9

6 English and maths Life gets interesting when you re good at English and maths Words and numbers are everywhere and if you can use them well you ll get on fast at work, at home, in life. It s about a future full of promise whatever route you take. The best employers will want to give you a We call it GEM job and a place at university will be yours for the taking. That s why at West Herts College we re determined to change the way we all use and think about English and maths. GEM is a new way of learning English and maths. It s special to West Herts College and we ve got big ambitions for it. We want GEM to make a real difference to how we all use words and numbers. That s why we ve set up a brand new team of GEM tutors. Each of them specialises in English or maths and it s their job to bring these essential subjects to life. Your child s GEM programme will be personal to them. If your child has GCSE passes (that s grades A*- C) we ll build GEM around their main course of study, enhancing their existing skills and developing new ones. If your child hasn t yet achieved a GCSE pass in English and/or maths they ll take GEM classes and work towards resitting their GCSE exams. Whatever route they take it will be a whole new way of learning. GEM is all about getting the skills needed to get on here at college and in life. GAP - Adventures in the working world So what exactly are GAP experiences? We ve teamed up with local employers to bring you GAP work experiences: a fresh approach to giving our students what it takes to land their first job. Work experience is an increasingly important step towards getting that first great job enabling students to find a career they ll enjoy, build up their CV and improve their skills in a real working environment. GAP experiences target the real skills young people need for success in ways which suit them and the employer meaning they ll be busy every time they go to work and can expect to get completely involved in projects and tasks. All our students have access to our GAP website, which lists our full range of opportunities, giving you plenty of choice to develop your skills. Are you an employer? You could make all the difference to a young person by offering a work placement opportunity. Our GAP work experiences are designed to deliver very real benefits to your business and our specialist team can make sure the process is straightforward and your experience is a positive one. Want to find out more? If you have any questions or want to find out more about English and maths skills at the College, you can speak to your child s tutor call us on and we ll be happy to help

7 Parents and Carers Charter The College welcomes the involvement of all parents and carers and we hope that we will have a successful partnership with you, working together to encourage your child to achieve their full potential. We ask that parents and carers read the Student Code of Conduct so they know and understand what we expect of students in terms of behaviour and approach to work, as well as what students themselves can expect from the College. The College expects that students will accept responsibility for their own learning and academic progress and take full advantage of the support that will be provided to them by their tutors. Nevertheless, there is a continuing role for parents and carers to play in that process, and the College will liaise with you accordingly, taking into account the needs of individual students. Your contribution To ensure your child understands and meets the obligations outlined in the Code of Conduct for Students To inform us if you become concerned about any aspect of your child s progress To discuss Progress Reviews and Reports with your child To inform us of any changes in personal circumstances, for example change of address, telephone number or domestic situation To contact us to authorise your child s absence from College To only take holidays outside of term time The College s Provision for all students under 18 You can expect the College to provide: A safe learning environment A personal link with the College through tutors and Head of School An opportunity to discuss your child s progress with subject tutors at parent and carers evenings, twice a year Contact from the College if there is concern about your child s attendance, progress or behaviour A prompt response to any query or concern An appointment with your child s tutor or Head of School if there is a need to discuss any aspect of their progress. During parent/carer evenings we provide an opportunity to speak to senior managers of the College Copies of the College s policies and procedures on request Quality Assurance It is important that you have the opportunity to give us your views on all aspects of College life. There are several ways you can express your views: By raising general concerns through our parent and carer evenings Speak to your child s tutor or Head of School Respond to any questionnaire which may be sent to you Surveys are sent to parents and carers from time to time. The findings of these surveys will be presented at appropriate College meetings and copies will be made available to you, on request. We want all our students to succeed with us at College and we are committed to providing them the best possible opportunities to achieve this. To support them to do this we have a Code of Conduct and Procedures for Managing Performance and Behaviour. If this is the case we may require a meeting with students and their parents or carers to set mutual action plans and targets to support them to get back on track

8 Code of Conduct for Students Our commitment to our students Our students commitment to us What our students can expect from us: Respect at every stage and throughout the duration of your course Secure storage of personal information in compliance with the Data Protection Act Equal access in line with the Disability Discrimination Act Equal treatment in line with the Equality Act A safe, healthy and enjoyable learning environment Impartial information about services, facilities and support Skilled and qualified teachers and support staff at all stages of your course 14 Confidential financial information and advice Information about assessments, assignments and examinations Appropriate support to meet your needs Careers information, advice and guidance to prepare you for your future A range of enrichment activities Events and publicity to celebrate your success Opportunities for you to air your views and be consulted on improvements A complaints procedure which is easy to understand and provides feedback West Herts College is committed to empowering all its members to achieve their very best. We work to raise ambition, remove barriers to success and maximise achievement. We strive to build around each individual the support that they need to succeed. What we expect from our students: Wear your student ID card at all times so that all staff can see you are a student Only wear hats and have hoods up if you are outside Follow requests from members of staff Attend all classes, work placements, tutorials and activities on time Inform the College and work placement providers if you are unable to attend Take your holidays out of term time Complete all of your assignments and homework to the best possible standard Meet all assignments and homework deadlines set by your tutors Pay all fees and charges on time Help to keep the College a healthy, safe and secure place for everyone Follow all College policies, codes, regulations, guidelines and procedures Look after, and return, all equipment and materials borrowed from the College Only smoke in the designated areas and do not bring alcohol on site or consume alcohol during the College day Not to take part in any illegal, disruptive or disrespectful activities It is important you never invite people who are not members of the College onto the campuses without the permission of a member of staff 15

9 Supporting you During their time at College we want every student to enjoy themselves, work hard and achieve being happy and getting involved is an important part of this. We ll take the time to get to know our students so we can offer them help and encouragement all the way. Advice and guidance We re here for our students. Our Student Support staff are available on every campus and we re on hand to provide advice on finance, personal issues, careers information and much more. Students can drop in and see us any time or can call or us for impartial advice and guidance. Need to talk? To speak to one of our Student Advisors or to make an appointment, just drop in to Student Support, or and we will contact you. Student Support is open from 8.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Thursday and 8.30am to 4.30pm on Fridays. Feel free to contact us between these times on Learning support During the first few weeks of term we assess all our students. This is so we can identify any areas where they may need extra help with their studies. We can then offer individual support such as specialist teaching, adapted materials, classroom support and special examination arrangements. If you wish to discuss your child s support needs during their course or want more information you can talk to their tutor or contact: The Learning Advisor in your school The VLE and our student portals All West Herts College students will have access to the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) from any online device inside and outside the College, 24/7. The VLE gives access to materials and coursework as well as links to useful websites for quizzes and other helpful resources. All full-time students also have access to ProPortal and E-Portfolio. Here they can access grades, track progress, monitor attendance and see their predicted grades. These all help to keep students on track and really do make studying easier. Learning Resource Centres In our LRCs, our students have the world at their fingertips. As well as a substantial collection of books and journals, they have access to a range of electronic databases and websites all there to help research and complete studies and assignments. There are open access computers, specialist software and high-speed internet connection. One-to-one support If a student ever needs extra help with assignments they can book a one-to-one study skills session with our LRC staff. Our specialist staff members provide advice on planning workload, research, drafting work, revision techniques and completing assignments. It s all part of a service dedicated to helping each student achieve the very best grades they can. Sessions can be booked at the LRC or by ing study.skills@westherts.ac.uk Our LRC opening times are: Dacorum campus: Monday 8.45am 5.00pm Tuesday 8.45am 7.30pm Wednesday 9.30am 7.30pm Thursday 8.45am 7.30pm Friday 8.45am 4.00pm King Langley campus: Monday 8.45am 5.00pm Tuesday 8.45am 5.00pm Wednesday 10.30am 5.00pm Thursday 8.45am 5.00pm Friday 8.45am 4.00pm Watford campus: Monday 8.45am 5.00pm Tuesday 8.45am 7.30pm Wednesday 9.30am 7.30pm Thursday 8.45am 7.30pm Friday 8.45am 4.00pm 16 17

10 Financial support Confidential information and advice is available to help students manage their money and apply for financial assistance. For further information visit any Student Support Centre, call or Travel In addition to support from the College, if your child is a Hertfordshire resident they will be able to apply to the Herts County Council SaverCard scheme. The SaverCard will cost 20 per year and allow your child a discount of up to 50% off tickets on any Hertfordshire bus for the academic year. From 1 August 2014 your child can pay 5 less for a SaverCard if they apply for it online using the link below. This only applies to online applications and to applications made on or after 1 August For further information and to apply visit or call For timetable information to plan your child s journey to College please visit or call Remember if your child is having difficulty paying for their journey to College they can pop in and speak to someone in Student Support who will be able to help. Learner Support Fund Help is available to students through our Learner Support Fund to assist with essential costs such as travel, equipment, lunches and childcare. If you are receiving benefits or have a low household income there are funds available to support your child while they are studying. For further information you can drop in to Student Support on any campus, call or heretohelp@westherts.ac.uk Childcare costs Care to Learn provides help with childcare and associated travel costs if your child is over 16 and under 20 years of age on the day their studies start. For an application form call , or log on to If the student is over 20 years of age they can apply to our Learner Support Fund for help with childcare costs. If your child is living in a London Borough and are aged between 16 and 18 they may be eligible for the 16+ Oyster Card. To see what discounts are available and how to apply visit

11 Financial support 24+ Advanced Learning Loan and Bursary If a student is starting a course on or after 1 August, they may qualify for a 24+ Advanced Learning Loan. This new scheme has been developed to help adults back into education. So if you re interested in doing a parttime course to boost your career, and need help with the costs, you may be eligible for a loan. Higher Education Student Finance For information about loans, grants and online application details for Higher Education courses visit direct.gov.uk/studentfinance or call Higher Education College Bursary The purpose of the Higher Education student bursary is to provide students with financial assistance towards the cost of studying including travel and course materials. For the 2014/15 academic year the maximum individual payment available to full-time students is 750. Part-time students may also apply for the bursary and payments will be made on a pro-rata basis. To apply, students will need to complete an application form, which will be assessed on an individual basis by the College. Applications will be assessed on a first come, first served basis. For more information students can pop into Student Support on any campus, or heretohelp@westherts.ac.uk Professional and Career Development Loans A Professional and Career Development Loan is a bank loan. Students can make an agreement with a participating bank to borrow an amount between 300 and 10,000. Then once they ve stopped studying, they pay it back in the normal way. Call the National Careers Service on for further information or to get an application pack. Students can also visit the National Careers Service via a link on the gov.uk website: gov.uk/advice/courses/funding/ pages/loans Up to 10,

12 Student activities We offer lots of exciting extra-curricular activities for students to sign up for. These include visits, work experience, talks from employers, trips and sports clubs. Sports and leisure activities We are one of the few colleges in England to have our very own Sport Maker. Their job is to ensure that every student has the chance to participate in sports and activities, some of which they will already know and love and some that might be completely new. Sporting activities include judo, basketball, badminton, rock climbing, football, rugby, street dance and many more with plenty of opportunities to continue through local clubs. Students will also have the opportunity to become one of our Sports Champions. We re looking for enthusiastic students to encourage and motivate people from around the College to participate in sport and clubs. Enhancing the College experience Every year a full programme of activities are planned to add to the West Herts College student experience, making their time with us both educational and fun. These include: Talent shows and live music events Health and social awareness activities including anti-bullying week and no smoking day Summer and Christmas fairs Workshops and drop-in sessions to help you improve your CV or interview skills Charity events Inter-college sports competitions and much more. Information about activities and clubs are posted around the campus and students have access to all this information through StudentNet the student intranet. Have your say Senior managers and governors regularly meet with student representatives from across the College to discuss issues that are important to us all. We pride ourselves on listening to our students, we encourage everyone to make the most of these opportunities to have their say about College life. Boosting CV and university application College activities are more than an opportunity to have fun students have the chance to meet lots of people from many different courses and to make a difference to College life. Additional activities also look great on CVs and UCAS personal statements giving students a story to tell about their teamwork, leadership and communication skills

13 Useful information Security and safety Feeling safe and secure is what communities like colleges are all about. At West Herts College our campuses are happy places for our students and staff. Learning may be challenging at times but campus life should not be. We support wellbeing, using a range of security measures which are reviewed on a regular basis. Professional security staff operate at the main entrances to all our campuses. Inside, all staff are alert to the need for a safe environment. Community police officers and other staff also give talks on safety. Regular safety checks are part of this routine. Conducted by qualified staff, we see this safety measure as our responsibility. By responding to the problems posed by modern life, we can work towards keeping West Herts College safe and secure for everyone, everyday. Parent s Portal You can now log on and view your child s report online. Information includes attendance records and personal tutor comments. To access the parent s Pro Portal: Log on to westherts.ac.uk/parentportal Enter your child s student ID number followed by a P eg ID = ABC Parent ID = ABC P Enter the password which is your child s date of birth (ddmmyy) eg Student Portal Through the Student Portal, students can access their personal U drive and the V drive - their course folder. There are also links to: StudentNet Student VLE Pro-Portal LRC Online Students can also book a slot on a Learning Resource Centre computer. Students can access the Student Portal by visiting westherts.ac.uk/ 24 25

14 College Calendar Month W/C Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Notes July 28/07/14 August 04/08/14 11/08/14 18/08/14 College open - no teaching 25/08/14 September 01/09/14 Enrolment College closed 08/09/14 HE enrolment FE induction 15/09/14 HE induction and teaching 22/09/14 29/09/14 October 06/10/14 13/10/14 Teaching weeks 20/10/14 27/10/14 Half term (HE directed study) November 03/11/14 HE Graduation 10/11/14 17/11/14 24/11/14 Parent and carer evening December 01/12/14 08/12/14 15/12/14 22/12/14 29/12/14 Winter break College closed January 05/01/15 12/01/15 19/01/15 26/01/15 February 02/02/15 09/02/15 16/02/15 Half term (HE directed study) 23/02/15 March 02/03/15 09/03/15 16/03/15 23/03/15 Parent and carer evening 30/03/15 April 06/04/15 13/04/15 Spring break 20/04/15 27/04/15 May 04/05/15 11/05/15 18/05/15 25/05/15 Half term June 01/06/15 08/06/15 15/06/15 22/06/15 29/06/15 July 06/07/15 13/07/15 20/07/15 22 Summer break (some part-time courses still running) Useful contact numbers Contact Campus Number Switchboard All Parent and Carer Hotline Dacorum Parent and Carer Hotline Watford Parent and Carer Hotline Kings Langley Student Support All Exams Watford Exams Kings Langley and Dacorum

15 Leggatts Way Courtlands Grove Mill Lane Cassiobury Park Hempstead Road (A411) Cassiobury Park Avenue Rickmansworth Road (A412) The Harebreaks Langley Road Longspring St Albans Road (A412) Station Road High Street Bushey Mill Lane Watford North Watford Junction Watford Underground Watford High Street Watford campus Hempstead Road, Watford WD17 3EZ Bus: Many bus routes service Watford town centre. Buses from Watford Junction travel to: Brent Cross, South Harrow, Rickmansworth, South Oxhey, Garston, Hemel Hempstead, Aylesbury, Hatfield, High Wycombe, St Albans, Luton and more. Train: Watford Junction rail is 15 minutes walk from the campus and offers a fast service from London Euston to Watford. Underground: Watford Station is 15 minutes walk from campus, and is on the Metropolitan Line, serving s to London, Chesham and beyond. Car parking: There is no student parking at Watford campus. There are public car parks nearby. A41 Watford Road M25 J20 Station Road Home Park Mill Link Road A41 Gallows Hill Kings Langley Abbotts Road Gallows Hill Lane Tibbs Hill Road Kings Langley campus Home Park Mill Link Road, Kings Langley WD4 8LZ Bus: The nearest bus stops are located on Kings Langley High Street and are 15 minutes walk from the campus. Buses 500, 501 and 550 are the main bus routes serving Watford to Aylesbury. Train: Our Kings Langley campus is 5 minutes walk from Kings Langley rail with links from London Euston to St Albans. Car parking: There is no student parking at Kings Langley campus. The nearest car park is the car park. Bikes and scooters: Parking is available for bikes and scooters on site. A41 Grove Mill Lane A41 North Western Avenue Courtlands Drive Cassiobury Park Watford westherts.ac.uk Hempstead Road (A411) Cassiobury Park Avenue Underground Kingsway Leggatts Way Rickmansworth Road (A412) Dacorum campus Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead HP1 1HD Bus: Dacorum campus is just 5 minutes walk from the bus which is well serviced by buses to and from Watford, Kings Langley, Rickmansworth, Aylesbury, Tring, Chesham, Amersham and more. Train: The nearest rail is Hemel Hempstead with links from London Euston to St Albans. Watford Car parking: There is very limited student parking North at Dacorum campus. Bikes and scooters: Parking is available for bikes and scooters on site. The Harebreaks Langley Road Longspring St Albans Road (A412) Station Road High Street Bushey Mill Lane Watford Junction Watford High Street