Having your child start at college can be a nerve-wracking experience. Here are some commonly asked questions by parents.
General
Vocational courses differ to A-levels, where a student will focus closely on one subject area, for example Hospitality, whereas students will have to choose three or four subjects to study for A-levels.
Vocational courses are technical courses that teach students the knowledge and skills needed for their chosen career. They are more practical than A-levels and students will have a range of opportunities to learn from industry professionals, and in industry environments.
Contrary to popular belief, you can attend university with a level 3 vocational course, which is equivalent to A-levels, and also gives your child the opportunity to earn UCAS points, which enables them to use these to progress onto university-level study, whether that is traditional university or at college.
HoW College offers Higher Education and Professional courses which offer much flexibility for your child in further study.
We support all our students with a variety of GCSE Maths and English grades. If a student has achieved a grade 3 at GCSE level, they will be enrolled to study and retake their GCSE Maths and/or English alongside study of their chosen course.
If a student hadn't achieved a grade 3 or above then they will study Functional Skills alongside their course to help prepare them to earn their qualifications.
Every August after GCSE results day, we offer Advice Cafes at our campuses for students to discuss their results and options available for when they start college. This may be moving to a different level vocational course. Please visit our website or social media to find out more information when these run. However, your child can still apply to college through our application process, just include their predicted GCSE grades to ensure that they have applied.
We have Academic Skills Support Mentors and a Specialist Learning Support team who can support your child whilst at college.
Further information can be found on our website under student support.
HoW college are a matrix accredited college that provides high-quality, impartial careers information, advice and guidance that is inclusive and learner centred. Through personalised support, employer engagement, and progression-focused resources, we aim to raise aspirations, improve employability and ensure all students are equipped to succeed in further education, higher education, apprenticeships, training or employment.
For more information, please visit the Careers Service and Support tab on our college website.
Yes, all students and staff require their ID badge each day they are onsite.
At our Bromsgrove and Redditch campuses, we do offer free parking, that is on a first come basis.
All students would need to register their car via the Portal under vehicle registrations.
Our car parks require the owner o verify their car registration to avoid getting a parking fine, so we recommend doing it before you use our car parks or on the same day you park.
As our intercampus bus is only for students and staff with a HoW College ID card, they will not be able to travel without that ID card. Students can pop into our LRC's before their bus journey where the team can issue a new ID card, which costs £1 for replacements.
You can report an absence through our Report a Student Absence page.
Each department varies in their start and end times, but a college day can begin from 9am and end by 5pm. Students may have a full college day from 9am to 5pm, whereas one day they could be in college from 10am - 1pm.
Timetables will be confirmed during induction week but for full time courses expect to be on campus for three of four days per week, with additional independent study to do. Onsite classes are normally on Monday-Thursday, with students not usually required to attend in person campus on Fridays.
HoW College takes students’ welfare extremely seriously. If your child feels unsafe or worried at college we have a dedicated welfare team on-site that they can talk to.
If you would like to speak to a member of the welfare team can contact us by emailing welfarew&[email protected] or welfarer&[email protected].
We have four main canteens at across our campuses, The View in Worcester’s All Saints Building, Bytes Café in St Andrews, Eden Café at our Redditch campus and a canteen at our Bromsgrove campus.
These sell a variety of snacks, hot and cold meals and hot and cold drinks for all HoW College staff and students. As well as this, students are welcome to go out on their break and lunch times and buy food, or bring in their own food from home. We have water machines across all sites, so students can fill their bottle free of charge at any time.
Fees
No, if your son/daughter is under the age of 19 then their course will be fully-funded.
Travel can be a costly affair, which is why we offer travel support through various fund to support students ease travelling to college. Support is dependent on your household income and more information can be viewed on our Travel to College page.
For students attending our Bromsgrove and Redditch campuses, we offer a intercampus bus that travels between the two campuses to get between each campus for lessons.
Yes, students are required to purchase relevant equipment and uniform for their course. Many items can be brought through the college’s online shop. Equipment and uniform requirements will be distributed to students on the successful application to their course by the department tutor.
Heart of Worcestershire College can provide support for students with uniform and equipment costs. For more information regarding financial support visit the Further Education Finance section on our website.
You can apply for a bursary online once your child has enrolled on to their course.
We advise that students complete and submit their application ASAP to aid with the processing of their claim. On submitting your application, it will be assessed in accordance with means tested criteria in line with the rules and regulations produced by the Government. Processing is normally completed within four weeks of application although due to volume of applications at the start of the year, applications and notifications are likely to take longer.
Navigating your way through the endless rules regarding tax, bursaries and funding can be a nightmare. In short, you’ll usually have to pay Council Tax if you’re 18 or over and own or rent a home. However, you won’t have to pay any Council Tax if everyone in your home, including you, is a full-time student.
For more information about your eligibility or paying for council tax please visit www.gov.uk
At college the students are responsible for their own learning. However, we expect that our students to abide by the College Values and Student Standards policy at all times. We expect students to make good decisions regarding their use of time, attendance and punctuality; failure to comply with college policies will result in disciplinary action.