Student Services

Bicton’s dedicated Student Services Team support students in all areas of Accommodation, Counselling, Careers Guidance Enrichment and Funding. We will endeavour to make your time here a truly great experience, both in and outside the classroom.

The Student Services office is based on the ground floor of the Learning Resource Centre. The Student Services Officers are based in the Student Services office from 8.30am -5pm and the Wardens are available from 5pm till 2am 24hrs a day (on call 2am-8am) 7 days a week. There is a variety of accommodation available to students that wish to stay on site as a resident. The Student Services team work alongside the Student Committee and its Student President in the planning of the social and sporting life of the campus.

Our mission is to keep Student social life at Bicton as full as possible and to be there to support you in anything you do and through any difficulties you may have. We will help you to settle into Bicton when you first arrive and give you advice on signing up for sports activities, organise social events and weekend activity to keep you entertained all year round

We want to provide you with the best student experience and we encourage students to voice their views and shape the student experience at Bicton College in the future.

We look forward to meeting you in September.

The Student Services Team

Your Funding and Transport Advisor, Karen Selley, is available in the Student Services Office between Monday-Friday 12.45pm – 1.15pm to offer advice on residential bursaries, discretionary Learner Support Funds (hardship), EMA, ALG, childcare, external bursaries for further education students and the Access to Learning Fund for higher education students. If you require a confidential chat, one-to-one appointments can be arranged at another time throughout the week. Please book an appointment through the Student Services Office.

Click here to go to the Finance, Funding and Transport webpage.

There are three college counsellors based in “the retreat” situated just behind the Learning Resource Centre. They provide help in all areas of need and offer a drop in service (times of which can be found on their notice board) as well as an appointment service. Staff based in the Student Services office can refer you to this service.

Your College Careers and Progression Advisor can offer you impartial information and guidance on learning, training and employment.  Your adviser, Jenny Clark, is based in the library and is available for you to drop in, or you can make an appointment either in person online via the student VLE, by email Jenny.Clark@bicton.ac.uk or by telephone:  01395 562333.

Your Connexions Adviser, Maria Huggett is available on a Monday in the library.  Maria is also available Monday to Friday by calling 07775 532792, email Maria Huggett@careerssw.org or telephone the Connexions freephone number 0800 9755111,

Please use these useful links for careers advice and land based job vacancies:

• www.connexions-cd.org.uk
• www.options4me.co.uk
• www.aimhigher.ac.uk
• www.land-force.com
• www.lantra.co.uk

There are a variety of activities and sporting events that students can get involved in and a gym that students may use. Events are advertised on the notice board outside the Student Services office, the big screen in the office and on the Student intranet. You may want to pop in and speak to our sports coordinator Jane Hushon who can advise you of the latest sports activities or book a gym induction. For more information on any of the above, just pop in and see us in the Student Services office or contact Rob Whitehead, Student Services Manager by calling 01395 562339 or e-mail Rob.Whitehead@bicton.ac.uk.

The Learner Support Team work closely with teaching staff, course tutors and personal tutors, as well as the Welfare Services team. Many of Bicton’s’ learners, studying qualifications at all levels, have found that our support can help them get the most from their course. Learners can just drop in on an occasional basis or in a more formal way.

If your study skills are rusty we can give you a quick refresher to update them and to help you plan and revise for exams and assessments. We can also help you increase your literacy, numeracy and ICT skills. If you had support at school and are worried about support while at Bicton, we can work with your tutors to develop a support and study plan. With your consent we will liaise with schools or external agencies if necessary.

If you have a disability or learning difficulty we work closely with teaching staff ensuring you have the support you need to access your course.

We can organise specialist assessments for exam concessions or to identify specific learning difficulties. We can provide equipment such as Laptops and Dictaphones, specialist software, handouts in enlarged print and can also cater to other requirements. We can liaise with tutors to make sure that you have copies of notes and handouts in a font and paper colour that suits your learning style. For learners on Higher Education programmes we work closely with Disability Assist Centres to help you apply for DSA.

Bicton College is committed to ensuring that student success is continued throughout the college disciplinary policy. This Student Performance policy and procedures has been specifically written to allow all Students to achieve and ensure that any disciplinary matters are dealt with in a fair, equitable and supportive manner at all stages of the process. It is hoped, therefore, that the majority of disciplinary matters will be dealt with by staff, in consultation with Tutors, Welfare Officers, Course Tutors, Academy Heads and the Assistant Principal, as they arise.