Get ready for OCVC

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for OCVC

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We’re really pleased that you have applied to study at Oxford & Cherwell Valley College and are looking forward to welcoming you in September.

To help you get ready for college, this booklet contains some important (and useful!) information about:

How is college different from school? page 1

Why OCVC is a great place to learn page 2

Five reasons we’re proud of OCVC page 5

Enrolling on your course page 7

Financial support page 9

Your exam results page 11

Transport to and from college page 13

Getting the support you need page 15

Students’ Union page 19

First day of term page 21

We hope you find this all useful. If you’ve still got questions about anything to do with OCVC, we’re here to answer them. So get in touch:

Welcome

01865 550550

[email protected]

One thing our students agree on is that college life is different from school – and we believe that’s a good thing! It’s a bold step to leave the familiarity of school, but it’s one that you won’t regret, and it’s a great stride in the direction of work or higher education.

At OCVC you will be part of a college community where most of our students are over 16. We hope you will relish the change, and the chance it brings to make new friends and enjoy new experiences.

A wider range of options and facilities When considering your next step, you have more exciting options than you might think.

You may be certain that you want to take A Levels, but you don’t have to stay on at school to do them. We offer more than 20 A level courses at OCVC and you will benefit from individual tutorial sessions and support.

OCVC also offers a wider choice of skills-based courses than most schools – and this is where college is very different. Our campuses offer industry-standard facilities that will help you to enjoy your learning experience and get the most out of your course. If you choose a skills-based course such as construction, motor vehicle, hair and beauty, or catering, you will gain practical skills in a college-based workshop, salon or restaurant that is identical to those in the world of work.

How is college different from school?

For information call: 01865 550550 | Email: [email protected] | Visit: www.ocvc.ac.uk 01

“There’s loads going on at OCVC – lots of events like the Swap Shop, where you bring different themed items to trade in for new stuff, like clothes. There’s so much more freedom here than at school – and if you treat everyone with respect, you definitely get it back.

I like the choice of places to eat on campus – I even had a formal meal at the Waterside Restaurant where the catering students cook the food and serve you. Sometimes we go and eat in the City centre, which is really close by.

Recently, I had some trouble with my course and thought about dropping out but my tutor and the Students’ Union Liaison Officer helped me to sort it out, and now I’m really enjoying it again.”

Steph DaviesExtended Diploma Art and Design

I didn’t know anyone here before I came to OCVC, but

I’ve made loads of really good friends on my course

and also through the Students’ Union

Why OCVC is a great place to learn

Our students come from all over Oxfordshire (as well as overseas) and from a wide range of backgrounds. We currently have over 3,600 full-time students at our four campuses in central Oxford, Blackbird Leys, Banbury and Bicester. Here’s why they think OCVC is a great place to learn:

02 Get ready for OCVC 2011

“What I like best about OCVC is the friendly, open atmosphere. The staff are friendly and so are the students – just about everyone will say hello.

I also like being treated like an adult. I didn’t enjoy school and definitely didn’t want to go to my sixth form, so I dropped out of education for two years after doing my GCSEs. But OCVC is so much better than school – you can tell that because I’m still here!

Having the Students’ Union centre means you have somewhere to hang out between lessons that isn’t the canteen. There are places for you to eat your own food, play pool and Xbox – and get advice and support if you need it.”

Nick HillsdonA Level English, Law and Politics

I chose to come here because everyone in the local area talks about how good OCVC is


Hazel knew she wanted to study Travel & Tourism when she was still at school in Oxford, but it wasn’t an option available in the sixth form.

“As soon as I realised the type of careers that are in this field, I made up my mind and was relieved I could concentrate on it here at OCVC. I’m not 100% sure which way I’ll jump but I’m interested in three things: being a travel agent, a tour manager or cabin crew.

Our three day trip to Majorca was definitely the best bit of the course so far. We learned about passenger management at the airport and went catamaran sailing.”

Hazel SibandaNational Diploma Travel & Tourism

College has made me grow up such a lot. I’m learning

to be independent and I’m also picking up other

skills like ICT, which I’ll use whatever I do next


Five reasons we’re proud of OCVC

A love for learningAt OCVC we are all about ‘a love for learning’. Our talented teaching staff really believe in this and are dedicated to giving you the personal support you need to succeed. Many of our teachers have worked in the industry they’re teaching about. They know all the latest trends and techniques – and will make sure you do too.

Best results ever As Oxfordshire’s premier college of further education we’re proud to have some of the best pass rates in the county for our full-time courses. For example, our A Level students achieved the best results ever this summer - out of 341 entries across 20 subjects, the pass rate was 99%, and 49% achieved A and B grades. More than half our students progress into higher education. We also achieve excellent rates for our work-related courses, because we have strong links with industry and employers.

Supported to succeed We want to you to succeed - and we will help you to do just that. We’ll give you tutorial, learning and personal support every step of the way. Our customer service, career, guidance and student support teams are on-hand to help you from the moment you make an enquiry, throughout the application and

enrolment process, and during your whole course. As an OCVC student, you can get advice about everything from money to health and your career path.

Brilliant locations All of our campuses are easy to find and in great positions. Our Oxford City Centre and Banbury campuses are within walking distance of the busy town centres where there are shops, restaurants and leisure facilities. Blackbird Leys is only a short bus-ride away from the centre of Oxford, and has some good shopping and leisure amenities on its doorstep too. Our Bicester skills campus is at the heart of ‘Motorsport Valley’ offering the full motorsports experience to our engineering students, and is close to Bicester Village outlet shopping centre. Many shops and amenities close to all four campuses offer discounts to OCVC students.

Life on campus Our hair & beauty and hospitality & catering students train in our own salons and restaurants. They are very popular with students and staff, who receive first-class service from our students at discount prices. There are performances by performing arts students in our theatres and loads of other activities to enjoy and get involved in.


18 year-old Ashley is studying one day a week over a year, and working at automotive company Prodrive for the remainder of the week.

“I got the job at Prodrive with the help of the college Apprenticeships Co-ordinator. After two years at OCVC, doing the National Award and Diploma, it’s really good to know I’ve got a job lined up.”

Ashley GoodgerAdvanced Apprenticeship Motorsports

From the moment I left school, I was relieved to find real career-focused

training in such a friendly atmosphere


Student ID: 112345678

26/04/1994

2011/12

Date of Birth

An Other

DIPLOMA IN ART & DESIGN

We will send you details about your enrolment during the summer holidays. We’ll let you know when and where to come and enrol.

On enrolment day you will:• meetyourcoursetutorandcomplete

yourenrolmentform• payyourtuition/material/examfees

ifapplicable• begiveninformationaboutwhatto

expectonyourfirstdayatcollege.

Enrolling on your course

and we will:• enrolyouonthecollegesystem• takeyourphotoandgiveyouyour

collegeIDcard• giveyouinformationaboutwhatwill

happenonyourfirstdayatcollegeandyourcollegetimetable.

On enrolment day college staff will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about your course, financial support, travel and accommodation.


When Ed left Carterton Community College with a small handful of GCSEs he wasn’t certain what lay ahead.

“All I knew was I liked cooking! My Connexions adviser suggested OCVC would be best for me and by the time I’d been to the Open Event, seen the layout and tasted the food, it was a done deal. I’m happy because I’ll be able to use these chef qualifications all over the world.”

Ed KayNational Chef’s Diploma

It’s great to be working in the kitchens and helping to run the restaurants. It feels

so real when we serve what we’ve cooked and hear all the positive feedback from

our customers


Financial support

You may be eligible to get financial support while you are studying at college. The type of support we can offer depends on your individual circumstances.

We will be offering you and your parents or carers the opportunity to come and talk to us about financial support from January 2011. In the meantime, if you’d like to discuss where to get financial help, please phone 01865 550550 and ask to speak to someone in the Student Guidance team.


Living in a small town, Jack didn’t want to go to a local school.

“It was more important for me to start fresh in a new environment, and make lots of new friends.

I’ve never been so busy. The combination of English Literature, Philosophy, Psychology and Art is plenty of work and I’m also getting help from the Students’ Union to launch a new club.”

Jack StewartA Levels

I’m enjoying the more mature environment


Your exam results

Thursday 25th August 2011 is GCSE results day – we wish you good luck! We hope you get the grades you hoped for, but whatever happens, you’ll need to get in touch with us as soon as you can after you get your results.

Got your results? Get in touch 01865 550550 (choose option 2) [email protected] www.ocvc.ac.uk

I’ve got the grades I need for my OCVC course

My grades aren’t as high

as I need

My grades are better than I need - can I do

a different course?

Well done! Contact us to

confirm your place

Don’t worry - contact us now to discuss options

available

Well done! Contact us now to discuss options available

If you want to change your course it’s very important to contact us as soon as possible.

Courses fill up quickly!

24 August: I’ve got my GCSE results


When 16 year-old Luke Pearce stepped out from Cherwell School to embark on the Young Apprenticeship in Engineering at OCVC, he hadn’t imagined he’d end up winner of the Oxfordshire Young Engineer High Sherriff’s Award. Luke picked up a laptop and cash prize from the High Sherriff in a glittering ceremony at the Williams F1 Centre, surrounded by the world’s largest private collection of racing cars.

Luke chose the course with a future job in engineering in mind, recognising, with the help of his tutors, that the UK is predicting a shortfall in qualified engineers over the next five years. He is now working at EP Barrus, an engineering firm in Bicester, and plans to return to OCVC to extend his engineering qualifications.

Luke PearceYoung Apprentice in Engineering

The course opened up my eyes to a world of

opportunities out there that I’d never have

thought about


Transport to and from college

If you live three miles or more from your nearest campus, and you are aged between 16-18 or continuing on a course that started before your 19th birthday, you may be eligible for support with travel costs.

The OCVC travel policy is under review.


Jessica doesn’t mind confessing, “I was a bit distracted when I was at school in Headington. It was time to start thinking about what I’m doing with the rest of my life.

“I love the way you are treated with respect here. It’s been just the change I needed. The plan is to keep going through all the levels and be a live-in nanny by the time I’m 21.”

Jessica CairaEntry Level Learning

Starting at OCVC has turned things around for

me. The exciting thing is, I’ve discovered what I

want to do


Getting the support you need

AccommodationIf you want to find somewhere to live that’s near to the college, then we may be able to help. We can also give advice if you are homeless, in housing difficulties or are looking for private rented accommodation.

Being safe and feeling secureAt OCVC we ensure that you have all the support you need to be healthy and safe, and protected from bullying and harassment. We team up with other services and agencies to share information, working together to protect our students from harm and to help you to achieve what you want from life.

Careers advice and guidanceYour success is very important to us and our Careers team are available to help you. Making sure you are on the right course is the first step and the team are happy to guide and advise you on the options available to you before you start your studies. Once you are here, the advisers can support you with all aspects of career planning. We can help you plan your next course and if you want to progress to higher education, the Careers team is here to help you choose and apply for a university course.

College nurseThe college nurse is based on three of the college sites and provides a confidential health service to students. This is a full contraception and sexual health service, including emergency contraception, pregnancy tests and advice, quit smoking support, healthy eating advice, help with relationship problems and support for students with drug and alcohol issues.

It’s important to us that you are fully supported while you study at OCVC. We are very proud of the services that we provide to our students and they are available to you every minute that you are here.

All of our staff are friendly and approachable, so you don’t need to be afraid to ask for any help you need. Here is some more information on the kinds of support offered at OCVC.


CounsellingSometimes life can be stressful, and at these times you may find counselling helpful. The experiences you have at college, the ones you bring with you, your past and present relationships, all affect who you are. OCVC’s student counsellors are here to help you.

Faith support The Faith Support team is available for all staff and students in the college of all faiths or none at all. They offer the time and space for you to explore faith and your understanding of different faiths, ask the ‘big questions’ and reflect on your beliefs.

Functional skillsWe all need to get the most out of work, learning and everyday life. As part of your course at college, you will be working towards one of the following functional skills: English, Maths or Information Communication Technology (ICT). As a result, you will gain an additional qualification.

The functional skill you study will be decided by your course leader. If you are on a two-year course, you will get the chance to study a different functional skill each year. The level of functional skill you will study will be based on a combination of your GCSE results and your initial assessment when you join the college.

MentoringIf you have any concerns, it can be very helpful to get support from someone your own age who can relate to you and your situation, which is why we provide a mentor service for all OCVC students. Mentors are students like you who want to help other students with things like coursework, making friends and any day-to-day worries or problems.

Progress reports and evenings for parents and carers As an OCVC student you will be given an individual learning plan to track and review your progress. Parents and carers are always welcome to discuss their son or daughter’s progress with the personal tutor or curriculum manager at any time they have a concern, as well as at progress evenings for parents and carers.

Study supportAs a full-time student, you will undertake an initial assessment in literacy and numeracy to make sure you are studying at the level that is right for you, and to identify any support you may need. Students with a range of individual needs have all been successfully supported by the team. Extra help may be available for:

• literacy• numeracy• organisationalandstudyskills


Students with disabilitiesOCVC offers a range of services to students with disabilities. Please contact us to discuss any needs you may have.

Hearing supportThe Hearing Support Centre at OCVC offers support to students who are deaf or have a hearing impairment. We can arrange individual programmes of support that enable students to have equal access to their chosen course. We can help with communication support, note-taking, tutorial support, hearing/hearing aid checks, signing, as well as deaf awareness for lecturers and fellow students.

Dyslexia supportSpecialist screening and assessments for dyslexia are available to all students from our team of specialist teachers. This may lead to individual programmes of support, special examination arrangements and full diagnostic assessments.

Oxford Access CentreThe centre offers a friendly and supportive service for all students, especially those with a range of individual needs. Assistive technology is available for all students on each campus. Facilities include voice recognition, text to voice, screen magnifiers and readers for visually impaired students, speaking dictionaries, adapted keyboards and other equipment. Training takes place with an experienced trainer in a friendly and welcoming environment. The centre is DSA QAG accredited, offering needs’ evaluations for students applying for the Disabled Students’ Allowance who are progressing on to higher education.

Language supportIf English is not your first language, we may be able to give you individual language support to help you complete your course successfully.

Tutorial supportAll full-time students are assigned a personal tutor who will help you with any issues you may have and support you to focus on your academic progress.

The Student CharterDuring your induction programme you will be given a copy of the Student Charter. It explains what you can expect from the college and what to do if your expectations are not met. It details the standards of performance we set for ourselves and makes clear your responsibilities as a student of the college.


Tom is one of the lucky ones who always knew he wanted to be a fire fighter, even when he was a little boy.

“I came from Bicester Community College and am finding college life here really constructive. My tutors are so committed - firm but fair. The discipline is great too – something that’s essential if you want to work in public services.”

Tom RoachExtended Diploma Public Services

We do loads of team building. A couple of

weeks back we went on an outward bound training

course, staying in huts, abseiling and rock climbing

– it was fantastic


Students’ Union

Every student has the opportunity to join our Students’ Union. Run by students for students, the Union represents students within the college and the community, and provides loads of opportunities to get involved with college management as well as extra-curricular activities.

Each year the Union runs elections for the posts of Students’ Union President and Vice-President, and a team of Officers including a Welfare & Equal Opportunities Officer, an Entertainment Officer and a Faith Support Officer.

All the students holding these positions get involved in the running of the college by representing the views and ideas of students to college staff and the Senior Management Team, which includes the Principal, Deputy Principals and Assistant Principals. They also help to promote the college at Open Events and other college events, giving first-hand insight into what it is like to study at OCVC.

We have a Students’ Union centre at each campus where you can hang out, join clubs and societies, or get advice. The Union runs a full calendar of events and activities throughout the year for you to enjoy such as salsa, football, rugby and street dance. They also do lots of fun activities to raise money for charities like Race for Life, Comic Relief and Children in Need as well as charities within the local community.

The Students’ Union is always happy to support ideas for new clubs, and promotes them widely to all of our students. Maybe you’d like to set up a sports or social club that other students can get involved with?


17 year-old Hannah is in her second year of the National Diploma in Health and Social Care.

“I’m really enjoying the variety of what we learn. One minute it’s Physiology, the next it’s Psychology. This week we’ve been concentrating on supporting and protecting vulnerable students, which I’m very interested in.

It’s also reassuring to know this could get me into a variety of work including social care, nursing or midwifery. I could get a caring job straight away, as there’s such a demand.”

Hannah KnightNational Diploma Health & Social Care

I know nearly 100% of previous students on this course have gone on to

higher education, which is pretty impressive


First day of term

We look forward to welcoming you to OCVC on the first day of term in September 2011.

a love for learning a

love for learnin g a love for learning

a love for learning a love f or

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love fo

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for learning a love for learning a love for learning a love for learning

a love for learning a love for learning

0131

/12.

2010

Need more information?

01865 550550 [email protected] www.ocvc.ac.uk

Documents

Get ready for OCVC