Principal’s Update 19/11

Important update from your Principal
Students Principal’s Update

I just wanted to begin this update by thanking all students from right across the College for, not only your understanding of the challenges that we are all facing, but your acceptance of, and compliance with the procedures that it has been necessary to put in place to safeguard the health and wellbeing of you and your colleagues and the staff of the College.  And can I also thank you for your hard work and commitment to your studies which is so important in ensuring that at the end of your course you have the fullest range of progression opportunities.

In responding to these challenges we have listened to students, and as a result prioritised face to face teaching – with most full time courses delivered 80% face to face and 20% on line – as well as investing significantly in IT equipment for those students in need.  In addition for A Level students we have taken the innovative approach of timetabling different A Level subjects on different days, which many students and indeed lecturers have welcomed, and which has helped us to reduce the number of students having to transport between different groups and, in so doing, reduce the risk of any transmission.  However we know that these restrictions have been difficult for many students – especially when your best friend is studying on a different course at the College – and so once again thank you for your patience and for following the rules.

Just a couple of weeks ago the Minister of Education, Kirsty Williams announced that this coming summer there will again be no GCSE, AS or A2 exams with a national ‘design and delivery’ group now set up to look at the arrangements for a variety of new external tests / marked assessments, the details which will be fed back to Colleges on our return in January, and will begin around half term.  Your tutors will advise you.

In terms of vocational courses, many of the examination bodies are English based and as such outside of the control of Welsh Government.  Some have already outlined their plans for assessments whilst others have been slower off the mark and we, and other colleges, are chasing them for the ‘details’ and in doing so have the support of both UK and Welsh Government who are both applying pressure.  Once again your tutors will be advising you as and when we have the details.

All face to face teaching will this year end by the 11th December ensuring that any student who is self-isolating, at the request of the College, will have completed any 14 day self-isolation period by Christmas day in line with similar arrangements that you may have read about that are in place for university students.

Finally in the coming months we will be asking for your feedback on a variety of issues including your preferred method of learning, your health and wellbeing and your experience at the College in this the first term.  The survey should only take 5 – 10 minutes but the responses that we receive are so important in helping us to continue to make the best decisions for our students, and therefore I would be most grateful if you could find the time to complete the summary.

Please stay safe

Mark Jones
College Principal