Parents

Contacting the College

Parents who wish to contact tutors are recommended to contact the extension of the appropriate Faculty Administrator. These are direct lines, so that you do not have to go through the switchboard.

Faculty Administrators

We are committed to keeping parents and guardians informed of their son, daughter or ward's progress throughout their time at College. Through our online portal parents/guardians can regularly and reliably track progress, and will receive a message in the instance of any absence. All tutors are also easily contactable by telephone and email or, if parents prefer, they can arrange a convenient time to meet with them. Progress reports will be issued during the year and parents will be invited to review and discuss targets and grade expectations.

How we involve Parents and Guardians

• We encourage parents and guardians to attend the admissions interview.
• We like parents and guardians to accompany students to the Enrolment and Advisory Service.
• We monitor attendance closely, with a register taken at the start of every lesson. Any absences should be notified, by parents/guardians, to the School of Study Administrator. Notification is sent about unexplained absences. Full attendance is a contractual requirement for all students.
• We provide information through the twice yearly newsletter posted home.
• We review students' progress throughout the year.
• Parents and guardians are encouraged to keep in close contact with the College. There is an Evening for New Parents in September.
• The College day is from 8.45 am to 4.00 pm.
• A Guide for parents and guardians is available.

Reviewing Students' Progress & Parent/Staff Consultation

One of the main tasks of Personal Tutors and subject teachers is to ensure that all students, regardless of their course, are on track to achieve their full potential.

We monitor students' progress throughout the year and reports will be available to you via the College Portal.

The College Portal provides access to information such as:

• Examination results 
• Subject by subject attendance figures, and overall attendance statistics
• Effort and Achievement grades throughout the academic year
• Student Timetable
• Advanced notice of absence of which you have informed The Henley College
• Comments area to contact any of your son/daughters teachers
• Details of students’ assignments and grades achieved throughout the academic year.

You can also review the contact details we have on record for you should anything have changed. For further information, or in case you have not received your College Portal user log in and password, please contact misservicedesk@henleycol.ac.uk

PARENT AND STAFF CONSULTATION

In November there is a parent and staff consultation, by invitation only, for students where there are concerns about progress or for those who would most benefit from their teachers meeting with parents/guardians.

In the second term there is an opportunity for parents/guardians to make appointments to meet with their son/daughter's teachers, if they wish to do so. 

A GUIDE TO THE EXAMINATION PROCESS FOR PARENTS

THE EXAMINATIONS OFFICE IS SITUATED IN R133

CONTACT US ON 01491 634316/7 OR EXAMS@HENLEYCOL.AC.UK

This is a short guide to explain the examination process at The Henley College, how it affects your son / daughter and to answer some frequently asked questions.

Students can see full details of Exams Arrangements – JCQ exams regulations, timetables, seating plans, Post Results information, re-sit forms etc. from the Exams Section of Learnzone.

Here is a brief overview of the whole process.

Students sit exams to gain QUALIFICATIONS at GCSE, AS, A2 AND NEW LINEAR A . We also offer vocational qualifications, known as BTECs.  Some units of the vocational qualifications may involve an examination or test, whether paper based or online test. The AWARDING BODIES or as they are more commonly known, the EXAM BOARDS which we use are:

AQA                                       www.aqa.org.uk

CIE                                          www.cie.org.uk

EDEXCEL (PEARSON)       www.edexcel.org.uk

OCR                                       www.ocr.org.uk

WJEC                                     www.wjec.co.uk

The Boards write SPECIFICATIONS (these used to be called “syllabuses”), set and mark examination papers then grant qualifications with grades, based on how well students performed, finally printing CERTIFICATES as proof of the qualification. These are printed after the end of Post Results period each year.  They are available for collection from the Exams Office – details on Learnzone.

Examinations fall mainly in the summer, mid-May to the end of June, but some also take place at other times - BTEC examined units, Functional Skills for example.

Coursework / Controlled Assessments may be set in the College at any time but must be completed before internal College deadlines.

The results of the summer examinations are issued on ‘Results Day’ which is always in mid -August as shown below:

for GCSE, the Thursday before August Bank Holiday Monday;

for AS and A-level, the Thursday before that.

THE ENTRY PROCESS

Students have to be entered for each exam/qualification. This is done through the Examinations Office at the College.

It is important that all the details on student enrolment are correct (such as spelling of legal name, date of birth etc.) as these will appear on certificates. 

Students and parents can view their ‘Individual Timetable’ on the student portal from March onwards, prior to Summer exams.  This will show the candidate number, venue for each exam, agreed Access Arrangements and details of clashes (more than 3 hours in one session) or follow-ons (less than 3 hours in total – exams run back to back).

Students and parents should ensure that:

1. a) there are no errors in the student’s personal details
2. b) the subjects and units are correct for the student
3. c) there are no omissions – subjects not entered

Certificates are required to be presented when applying for University and for most jobs and so need to be factually correct and kept secure for the future. Lost Certificates cannot be replaced by the College, only by the issuing Board.

We understand that sometimes a student may wish to be entered for exams in a subject not taught at The Henley College.  We will always try to accommodate these requests where possible. Candidates should contact the Examinations Manager immediately if they would like to make a request to use our exams facilities for external assessments.  The student will be responsible for meeting the full cost of the entry.

THE EXAM PERIOD

Students must arrive at College in good time for each exam. All students are expected to be ready to enter the exam room (usually the Sports Hall or Rotherfield Hall) at least ten minutes before the scheduled start of an exam. For The Henley College, this is -

9.00 a.m. for the morning session;

1.30 p.m. for the afternoon session.

Your son / daughter will be expected to have read the Exams information on Learnzone to find out exactly where the exam is taking place.

RESULTS DAY

The results will be available to view on the Student and Parent Portal on Results days. If a student is unable to view the Portal they can provide a stamped addressed envelope so that they can be posted later that day.

Results are confidential to the students so we do not give out information about results over the phone. A nominated person may collect results on behalf of a student provided that we have written evidence of this arrangement and proof of identity, if needed.

POST-RESULTS SERVICES

All Boards offer the possibility of reviewing papers and are able to return ‘photocopy or original scripts’.  Exam boards charge for these services and we pass this cost on to students. The full details of fees and deadlines for Post Results Services can be found on the Exams Section of Learnzone.

CERTIFICATES

BTEC certificates are produced by the Exam Boards during August each year.  Students may collect these certificates from the Exams Office (between 9am and 3pm) from the second week of the Autumn term.  They should bring the confirmation of unit grades which should have been issued to them by their Programme Leader.

A level and GCSE certificates are issued by Exam boards at the end of October, after the national deadline for review enquiries.  These certificates can be collected from the Exams Office from the third week in November following results in August (between 9am and 3pm).

If this option is preferred, students should purchase a boarded envelope from Reprographics,  self-address it, go to reception to pay £5 for the cost of posting and then give it to the Exams Office before they leave College.

COMMON PROBLEMS AND FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS

LATE FOR AN EXAM

1. “My son / daughter is stuck in traffic and is going to be late for an exam. What shall I do?”
2. “Let the Faculty Administrator at College know as soon as possible. That will save us from trying to finding a missing candidate. Students must have a legitimate reason for lateness and must arrive before 10am (morning exam) or 2:30 (afternoon exam). Exam boards are advised of latecomers and may refuse to mark scripts, depending on the circumstances. The student will be permitted the full time allowed for the exam on the day.

MISSED AN EXAM

Some candidates turn up in the afternoon for an exam that was scheduled for the morning. They misunderstood their timetable. This happens every year but fortunately not to too many students.  If we cannot trace any missing student to get them into the exam before the end of the first hour of the exam, then it is too late. For new linear examinations, a student in this situation may apply to retake the exam in the following year.  However, some legacy exams do not offer a resit opportunity, so it is important that all students pay attention to their exam timetable and ensure that they attend.

ILLNESS

1. “My child is unwell. Can she/he do the exam tomorrow?”
2. “No”. We encourage the students to come in if at all possible. If this is not appropriate, you should obtain a doctor’s letter within seven days of the exam indicating the reason for absence. We may then apply for ‘Special Consideration’ from the Exam Boards, depending on the circumstances. We are never advised by the Exam Boards of the weight placed on such applications.
3. “Can she/he have extra time?”
4. “No”. That only applies to students who have been assessed by Upgrade. All students who have been granted ‘Access Arrangements’, such as extra time, use of laptop, reader etc. will have been advised prior to the exam series.

BEREAVEMENT etc.

If there has been a recent death in the close family that affects your child, this too can be the subject of a ‘Special Consideration’. A simple letter to us, explaining the circumstances, is usually sufficient.

This also applies to any other unusual circumstance that could seriously affect the performance of a student on the day so please advise the Examinations Office in confidence.

FURTHER INFORMATION

If you need further information about any of the above issues, or have other questions to ask, please contact the Examinations Office and we shall be pleased to help you with your enquiry.

Additional Costs

Books and Equipment

Some books and equipment are provided. You may be asked to buy other books and/or equipment. A full list of charges to students for books and equipment for courses is available on request and indicated on the subject/course entry.

Educational Visits

From time to time students may be asked to participate in educational visits. Students will be notified in advance of such expenditure. There is a small fund to support educational visits. Find our more on the Finance page.

Parent Pay

Parent Pay is the online payment system used by the college which enables parents/guardians to pay for all trips/books/materials/lunch money etc. Login details will be sent to parents/guardians once a student has enrolled at the college. https://www.parentpay.com

Homework

While it is difficult to give precise guidelines for all subjects and courses, students are expected to give in addition at least two thirds of the time they spend in the classroom to their own work. This could include set homework, follow-up work to lessons, background reading and practical work. Some of this work may be done during the College day in the Library, Student Learning Centres and other places.

While part-time paid work may be beneficial whilst students are at College, research and experience have shown that to achieve the best grades possible it is important that students give priority to their College work above all other commitments. This means that the amount of time given to part-time employment should be limited and any work should not interfere with College commitments.

IMPORTANT LINKS TO COLLEGE INFORMATION

>>CLICK HERE

OFSTED REPORT 2023

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