Parents’ Charter
This information is intended for the nominated parental/guardian contact of students under the age of eighteen years at the start of their course.
The College welcomes the involvement of parents/guardians throughout their son/daughter's time in College. We would like to work in partnership with parents/guardians to ensure that all students achieve their potential in their chosen courses.
We would encourage parents/guardians to read both the Students' Charter (available on the College intranet VLE) and Diary, which contain up to date and accurate information about the College’s services and performance, so that they understand what is expected of students in terms of behaviour and approach to work, as well as what students can expect to receive from the College. These will also give parents/guardians an overview of the pastoral support services offered by the College.
The College expects students to accept responsibility for their own learning and academic progress. However, this will be done in the context of support and encouragement to enable each student to reach their potential. We would also expect this process to take account of the wishes of parents/guardians and would expect regular liaison between Tutors and parents/guardians.
In exceptional circumstances, students can request that the College has no contact with their parents/guardian. The College will inform parents/guardians when it receives such a request from a student.
Parents’ Entitlement
You will receive:
- an Information for Parents booklet, providing answers to frequently asked questions from parents
- a College calendar detailing key dates in the College year (within this booklet)
- contact when there is a problem with your son/daughter’s attendance, punctuality or progress
- an opportunity to meet with Subject Tutors on Parents' Evenings and discuss your son/daughter’s progress
- a personal link with the College via your son/daughter’s Personal Tutor
- a prompt response to any enquiry
- progress reports indicating your son/daughter’s progress against their minimum expected grades
- an appointment, if the College or parent/guardian needs to discuss any aspect of their son/daughter’s welfare and progress at the College
- an invite to attend a Higher Education Progression Evening at the College, which will consider issues relating to finance and higher education
- representation on the College’s Governing Body through the Parent Governors
- an opportunity to attend the College’s Annual General Meeting
Parents'/Guardians' responsibilities
- to support the College’s commitment to good attendance, punctuality and meeting deadlines.
- to inform the College if you are concerned about your son/daughter’s progress.
- to inform the College of any changes in address, telephone number or personal circumstances.
- to contact the College in the case of your son/daughter being absent, according to the procedures detailed in the Student Diary.
- to attend Parents' Evenings.
- to respect term dates and avoid taking holidays in the term time unless such arrangements are unavoidable.
We hope that your daughter/son will be very happy and successful at Oldham Sixth Form College and that you will be satisfied with the College and its services. Nevertheless, we will always listen carefully to any criticisms, complaints or suggestions for improvement in these services and particularly in relation to the commitments in this Charter. If you are dissatisfied and wish to complain or suggest improvements, an informal approach to the Subject or Personal Tutor may be sufficient. If the matter is not resolved to your satisfaction in this way, you can pursue it further through the formal complaints procedure detailed in the Student Charter and Diary.
We would like to know if there is anything you feel we have missed and/or any other questions you would like answered. Please could you put your suggestions in an envelope addressed to Michael Walsh and ask your son/daughter to hand this into the College reception.
Thank you for your help and we look forward to seeing you during the academic year.
