Parent & Carer Information

<p dir="ltr">Regular attendance is key to any student’s success and we require our students to be at every lesson, unless they are ill or have another genuine reason. As part of this high expectation we encourage all students to achieve 100% attendance rate in all courses.</p> <p dir="ltr">Students who fall below 90% attendance will be invited to an informal meeting to discuss the reasons behind poor attendance.</p> <p dir="ltr">Students who fall below 80% attendance will be invited to a formal meeting to discuss the poor attendance. In the meeting we will invite parents of students who are under 18 and set some realistic targets to improve the students' attendance within their studies.</p> <p>If <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/absence">absence</a> is necessary, either the student, or the parent or guardian will need to let us know in advance with as much notice as possible using the links below.<br /></p><ul><li>If your child is a registered Arts University Plymouth student and can self-report, <strong><a href="https://mytimetable.plymouthart.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">please ask them to visit My Timetable</a> </strong>and select the Report absence (student) button at the top of the page.</li><li>If you are a parent or guardian reporting an absence on behalf of a registered Arts University Plymouth student, <strong><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScEvGKHYrqV7VSFds10M4Rq1Yhtle2u2qBkw-c5Eq9czZ6w1A/viewform" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">please complete the university's absence reporting form</a>.</strong></li></ul> <p>If there are concerns about the attendance or academic progress of your child/young person and they are under the age of 18, you will be kept informed through our intervention process.</p> <p>Of course, you are free to make appointments to see Pre-Degree staff at any time to discuss your child/young person's progress, particularly if you have any concerns.</p> <p>If students are aged over 18 at enrolment, we will need their permission to talk to you about any university issues.</p>

<p>The university expects its students to follow the Code of Conduct whilst at the university, and failure to do so will mean they will progress through our Intervention Framework.</p> <p>We aim to resolve issues through interventions and after an informal warning, recorded on the students electronic record, there are three stages of intervention.</p> <p>If a student is told they are at Stage 1 of this process, then you will receive a letter/email inviting you into university to discuss the issue, agree targets and if appropriate, sign a behaviour contract. These targets/contracts will then be monitored, where we expect this will then be resolved.</p> <p>However we will invite you in to the university again should your child/young person not meet the agreed targets, and failure to continually adhere to the Code of Conduct could lead to Stage 2 and furthermore onto a Stage 3 withdrawal meeting.</p>

<p><strong>What is an Extended Diploma?</strong></p> <p>An Extended Diploma is a vocational qualification run over two years and the equivalent of three A-Levels which has a Pass, Merit or Distinction outcome and a maximum of 168 UCAS points - this is the equivalent of 3 A-Levels at A*.</p> <p><strong>What is a Foundation Diploma?</strong></p> <p>This is a post A-Level one year course that prepares the student for degree-level study with a maximum value of 285 UCAS points and has Pass, Merit and Distinction outcomes. <br /></p> <p><strong>Fees, Finance &amp; Funding</strong></p> <p>For more information, please visit our <strong><a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/study/pre-degree/fees-financing-and-funding" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fees, Finance and Funding page</a>.</strong></p> <p><strong>Why does my child/young person have to take English/Maths?</strong></p> <p>Students that attend our Level 3 courses will do so as part of the Study Programme which includes English and Maths and will help students to develop the essential skills required within employment and everyday life. Our lessons are directly linked to the arts and give students the potential to achieve greater success in their chosen area of study and in the workplace. These lessons will develop the following skills:</p><ul><li>English, to improve reading, writing, speaking and listening</li><li>Practical Maths, for everyday life</li><li>Problem-solving skills</li><li>Employability skills, including letter writing, CV writing and interview techniques</li><li>Students joining the university with a GCSE English or Maths at Grade 3 will be required to resit their GCSE</li></ul> <p><strong>How do you make sure my child/young person is safe?</strong></p> <p>The university believes that it is always unacceptable for any student to experience abuse of any kind and recognises its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all students by commitment to practice that protects them effectively. The university is committed to:</p><ul><li>providing a safe learning environment for all students with equal protection from all types of harm and abuse</li><li>identifying children, young people and vulnerable adults who are suffering or are likely to suffer significant harm, and taking appropriate action to see that such children, young people and vulnerable adults are kept safe, both at home and at the university</li><li>working in partnership with students, staff and other institutions to promote a safe learning environment</li></ul> <p>The university complies with recent Government legislation regarding ‘Prevent’ responsibilities, aiming to raise awareness of the risks of extremism including radicalisation.</p> <p>If at any point students feel they need to talk to someone about any issues around being safe either inside or outside the university, then they can talk to their tutor, Subject Leader or our designated safeguarding person: Carol Edwards, who can be contacted by telephone on internal phone number 227 (for students) or by email: <a href="mailto:cedwards@aup.ac.uk"><strong>cedwards@aup.ac.uk</strong></a>.</p> <p>The university also insists that all staff, students and visitors wear a university ID lanyard and card for easy identification and visual checks to ensure that the correct people are in our buildings. These ID lanyards are to be worn at all times and access can only be obtained to the Palace Court and Palace Studios buildings using the swipe security within them.</p> <p><strong>How do I report an absence on behalf of my child/young person?</strong></p> <p>If you are a parent or guardian reporting an absence on behalf of a registered Arts University Plymouth student, <strong><a href="http://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScEvGKHYrqV7VSFds10M4Rq1Yhtle2u2qBkw-c5Eq9czZ6w1A/viewform" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">please click here</a></strong>.</p> <p>Please make sure you report absence on the day as retrospective absences cannot be corrected.</p> <p><strong>Can I contact a tutor to discuss the progress of my child/young person?</strong></p> <p>We are happy to hear from any parent or guardian wanting to discuss their child/young person's progress, and you can call or email our reception desk using the details below to arrange this. However we can only do this if your child/young person is under 18. If they are over 18 they will need to have given us consent to discuss their progress with you.</p> <p>Palace Court Reception (Pre-Degree centre – also covers Palace Studios)<br />Email: <a href="mailto:predegree@aup.ac.uk">predegree@aup.ac.uk</a><br />Phone: 01752 203448</p> <p><strong>Can I find out more about Learning and Disability Support at Arts University Plymouth?</strong></p> <p>Yes, please <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/study/pre-degree/disability-support-and-reasonable-adjustments" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>click here</strong></a> to read more about additional support. If you have any further questions, you can contact our Pre-Degree Learning Support Co-ordinator Vicki Prout in our Student Support team on <a href="mailto:vprout@aup.ac.uk"><strong>vprout@aup.ac.uk</strong></a>.</p>

<p dir="ltr"><strong>Exam Dates 2025<br /></strong><br />The below dates are correct at the time of publishing (September 2024). If you are the parent or guardian of a pre-degree student and you have any questions about exams, please contact Dawn Kingston, Quality and Examinations Manager (Pre-Degree) on <a href="mailto:dkingston@aup.ac.uk"><strong>dkingston@aup.ac.uk</strong></a>.<br /></p><ul><li>25 February 2025 - FS Maths Exam - Paper 1 - 30 mins (AM) (For those taking this exam early)<br /></li><li>25 February 2025 - FS Maths Exam - Paper 2 - 1 hour 30 mins (PM) (For those taking this exam early)</li><li>12 May 2025 - FS Maths Exam - Paper 1 - 30 mins (AM)</li><li>12 May 2025 - FS Maths Exam - Paper 2 - 1 hour 30 mins (PM)</li><li>15 May 2025 - GCSE Maths Exam - 1 hour 30 mins (AM)</li><li>23 May 2025 - GCSE English - 1 hour 45 mins (AM)</li><li>4 June 2025 - GCSE Maths Exam - 1 hour 30 mins (AM)</li><li>6 June 2025 - GCSE English - 1 hour 45 mins (AM)</li><li>11 June 2025 - GCSE Maths - 1 hour 30 mins (AM) <br /></li></ul><div><strong>Result Dates 2025</strong></div><ul><li>14 Aug 2025 - FS Maths Results issued</li><li>14 Aug 2025 - Extended Diploma and FAD Results issued</li><li>21 Aug 2025 - GCSE Results Issued<br /></li></ul>

<p><strong>Information for Parents</strong></p> <p>Over the last three years we have been continually developing and improving on our <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/study/pre-degree/pre-degree-progression-and-careers-plan">Pre-Degree progression and careers provision</a>. Our intention is to continually keep working towards the university's ethos of continual creative learning and social justice via the Pre-Degree Skills Project, whilst also driving toward 100% achievement of the <a href="https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/schools-colleges/understand-gatsby-benchmarks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gatsby Career Benchmarks</a>. The Gatsby Benchmarks are a framework of 8 guidelines that define the best career provision in schools and colleges. <br /></p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Parent and Guardians’ Evenings</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Parents’ Evening events will be held with a combination of on-site and online meetings. If you are a parent of a Pre-Degree student who is <strong>aged under 18</strong> and you wish<strong> to attend, please book an appointment via </strong><a href="mailto:predegree@aup.ac.uk">predegree@aup.ac.uk</a><br /></p><ul><li dir="ltr"><strong>Wednesday 11 September 2024 - Parents Information Evening</strong></li><li dir="ltr"><strong>Wednesday 13 November 2024, </strong><strong> (times TBC)</strong></li><li dir="ltr"><strong><strong>Wednesday</strong> 26 March 2025, (times TBC)</strong></li></ul> <p><strong>Careers &amp; Progression Information, Advice and Guidance</strong></p> <p>Our university provides a number of qualifications including a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design course, and a suite of 6 UAL Art and Design Extended Diploma courses including Graphics, Illustration and Game Arts, Film, Animation and Media Production, Photography, Fashion and Textiles and Art and Design. <br /><br />Our students are able to engage with a number of work experiences from across a multitude of industrial sectors including: Construction, Engineering, Design and Technology, Visual Communication, Architectural design, Fashion, Media and Marketing, Radio as well as in the Public and Health sectors, which helps them to build upon new and existing skills to align these with professional practice and industry expectation.</p> <p>Find out more on our <a href="https://www.aup.ac.uk/study/pre-degree/pre-degree-progression-and-careers-plan">Progression &amp; Careers plan</a> page.</p>