Tutorial Support

All full-time students are appointed a personal tutor. They will form a close relationship with you, making sure you are matched with the most appropriate course, are motivated, supported and become an independent learner. The tutor liaises with your parents, writes reports and can refer you to other experts within the College where necessary. They can also help you to find strategies that work for you and establish confidential arrangements if needed between you and your tutor/s.

Student Wellbeing

We have a Wellbeing service across all three campuses that students can request either at their interview or when they are at College. The service is really accessible, supportive and confidential but there may be a waiting list during busy times. We also have a professional counselling service, and students can ask for these services through their personal tutors or refer themselves.

We have social, quiet and private spaces for wellbeing meetings and time out, and all common rooms have wellbeing staff available to provide support.

Additional Learning Support

A dedicated team works across the College to support and advise students with additional needs. Students with physical disabilities, specific learning difficulties, emotional difficulties, medical problems or mental health difficulties have access to a range of support mechanisms. For further information visit the Additional Learning Support page.

Physical Access

We seek to ensure all our campuses are accessible to all students. Corridors are wide and classes are generally timetabled within one building to minimise the need for travel and the risk of getting wet. Most of our buildings have automatic doors and lifts and there are reserved drop-off and parking bays. Internal fire doors are held open magnetically and there are fire refuge areas for those who cannot manage staircases. The Restaurants have flexible seating to allow for wheelchair users.

Functional Skills

There are three Functional Skills; English, maths and ICT, that underpin all learning. They are included in full-time programmes of study and are a mandatory part of vocational courses. Adult students who do not already have a GCSE in Maths or English are also entitled to access this support and classes.

Further Functional Skills support is available if required, on a one-to-one basis or in small groups. To find out more call 01278 441316 or email learningsupport@btc.ac.uk.

Tuition Funds

The government has made funding available to support disadvantaged students,. This is called the tuition fund.  It is a government initiative to provide one-off funding for the 2020 to 2021 academic year only. It is ring fenced funding for schools, colleges and all other 16 to 19 providers to mitigate the disruption to learning arising from coronavirus (COVID-19).

In order to provide support for disadvantaged students, BTC will use tuition funds to prioritise support for to provide the following support:

Support Via Academic Coaches

• Identify and assess need
• Provide 1:1 and small group (defined as no more than 5 students,) support to develop study skills and learning to learn skills and knowledge
• Provide 1:1 and small group interventions in English and maths
• Provide catch-up sessions where students are not making the progress expected of them as a result in gaps in learning from year 11 and year 12

Provide vocational workshops and catch-up

• Provide workshops and masterclasses via onsite and online delivery to those students in year 12 and year 13/14 who have progressed internally either from one level to another, or from year 1 to year 2 of a Study Programme and have gaps in their knowledge and understanding as a result of Covid -19
• Provide additional catch-up sessions for those students where assessment has been deferred in-order to deliver or re-visit knowledge, skills and understanding to prepare for assessment or re-assessment as a result of awarding body adaptations

Provision of 1:1 and small group workshops on the theme of well-being and mental health.

Provision for small group intervention for SEND students

• Provide support where students may have been disadvantaged by their time out of education or a lack of physical transition has impacted on their ability to move on to Further Education

Provision for additional English and maths

• Provide lessons to focus on individual and small group interventions (online and onsite.)
• Provide revision and preparation for November re-sits
• Provide revision sessions within designated holiday periods
• Designated revision sessions prior to examinations

Provision for 1:1 intervention and small group interactions with Personal Tutors

• Provide 1:1 and small group interventions facilitated within college learning workshops in addition to weekly tutorial sessions to support students to make the progress expected of them