College Life

Get involved with our Union - each year there is a Student Union President and Vice President, as well as coordinators for social activities, Equality and Diversity and others. There is scope to arrange different charity and fundraiser events as well as co-ordinating social activities and end of year celebrations, parties and trips. Things we did last year included: Alton Towers trips, Paintballing, meet your MP and end of year celebration of achievement event.

Check out @bcotsu on Twitter

Learner Voice includes all the ways you can have your say at BCoT. We want to hear from you the things you would like to change or what is working really well.

Every tutor group will elect learner representatives who have the opportunity to discuss all aspects of College life.

Meetings take place throughout the year to ensure that there is a greater insight into the learner perspective. Learner Voice representatives also regularly meet with the Principal throughout the year at Principal's Forum, to discuss how the college is working and can be improved.

Actions are then drawn up for the staff by senior management.

You can get involved in a variety of activities and events to enrich your College experience. Previous trips have included Thorpe Park and events have included indoor assault courses, team building exercises, Fair Trade events, African drumming workshops and health fair events with interactive workshops. Learners can contribute ideas to set up their own events with the help of Learner Engagement and the Student Union.

The College has two recreational areas where you can relax with your friends; there are pool tables on both sites and on the North site there are table tennis tables, computers, and a large screen for watching videos.

Trips are a highlight of College life - our learners visited London, China, Belgium, New York and Alton Towers last year. You may have the opportunity to go on trips relating to your course, such as fashion shows for Art and Design, farms for Animal Management and Silverstone for Automotive Technologies. You will be asked to cover the costs of these but if you are aged 16-18 you will not be excluded from any visit which is essential to the course if you cannot afford it.

If there is a trip or educational visit that is essential to your course then you can apply for half of the cost from the Enrichment Fund.

We aspire to be:

Passionate - about providing education and training that brings opportunities and transforms lives
High Performing - anything less than 100% success leaves room for improvement
Innovative - by focussing on the promotion of sustainability and enterprise as we move forward
Respectful - we value every person as an individual and embrace diversity in our community
Inclusive - we provide opportunities for all and we welcome people of all abilities and backgrounds.

We believe it is essential to work in partnership with you to provide you with the best experience and create an atmosphere of mutual respect. Not only do we ask you to respect the College's codes of conduct - we recognise the importance of respecting your needs and expectations as well.

As a BCoT learner you have a right to:

• Enjoy and achieve
• Make a positive contribution
• Be healthy
• Feel safe and stay safe
• Achieve economic and social well-being

You can expect from us:

• Teachers who are committed to your learning
• Courses that are interesting, well planned and organised
• Interesting lessons that stimulate learning
• To have your work marked promptly and returned within 10 working days
• To be supported with any difficulties that you may have
• To have a fun and lively summer school and induction programme with regular on-going advice and progress tracking
• Careers guidance, employment support, welfare support, financial guidance and support with personal matters
• Good classrooms, IT facilities and resources to support your learning
• An environment where equality and diversity are valued and actively promoted
• The right to fairness and equality in the way you are treated
• The opportunity for personal development and improved employability skills

What we expect from you:

• Commitment to your course and making the most of your learning and development opportunities
• Good attendance and punctuality (with good reason for any absence)
• To complete your work on time, to the best of your ability
• Good behaviour and respect to others
• Taking care of our College environment for your own benefit and the benefit of others
• Using the College services to help you succeed