Barnardo’s

Moving Mindsets

At Furness College, all 16-18 students are required to complete work experience/experience of work. Work experience gives you the chance to learn about what type of job you might enjoy, develop your CV and even give a boost to your UCAS points if you are considering University.  We know this can be one of the most transformational experiences you can have during your education.

You, with the help of your family or friends, should source your own work experience placements. This approach is grounded in the belief that self-placement fosters a sense of accomplishment and mirrors elements of the job search process. The work experience team are available to help, offer guidance and advice and provide information and resources with anything regarding work experience.

For some students your work experience will run regularly throughout the year for one or two days a week, you may do a few hours here and there in your spare time, or others might have a dedicated one-week block at a prearranged time within the academic year. Each course will have a minimum about of hours that you will have to complete by the end of the year.

In preparation for starting with us, have a think about the following questions:

1. What’s your dream job? Have you always imagined yourself working in a field like healthcare, where you could directly help people? Do you see yourself using your creativity in a job like graphic design, writing, or fashion design? Are you drawn to a career in technology, where you could build new things and solve problems with code?
2. Who are the top employers in the area in your desired field? There are over 1600 employers in Barrow in Furness alone! The biggest employer being BAE, but the majority being small businesses.
3. Do you have friends or family you could ask? How about that uncle that owns a restaurant, or the family friend who is a hairdresser, second cousin who works in Admin?
4. How will you travel to the workplace? Is it within walking distance, do you have to get a bus?
5. Have you seen any recent job adverts you like the sound of? Have a look on Indeed.com for the local area, or Facebook.
6. Is this a realistic option? Do you have dreams of becoming a Brain Surgeon? Furness General Hospital are unlikely to give you free-reign in an Operating Theatre, however, any position within the medical field will give you great relevant experience. In this case, think about local GP’s or care homes.

Keep a note of all your answers, this will be handy for when you need to start contacting employers.

Firstly, well done! Secondly, you will need to contact Student.Services@furness.ac.uk / 01229 844 817 to let us know so we can update and withdraw your full-time course application. We will need your full name, date of birth and where your apprenticeship will be at.

Important: Apprenticeship offers are often based on your already achieved grades or predicted grades. For example, if you have applied for a BAE apprenticeship, your offer will be on condition that you achieve certain grades or qualifications. This is called a conditional offer. The other (uncommon) offer type is an unconditional offer, which means you are guaranteed an apprenticeship place regardless of your grades/qualifications. This is usually offered to those who have achieved above the entry requirements for the apprenticeship.

Please check with the employer which type of offer you have been given before deciding to withdraw your application. Once you have withdrawn your application with us, your place will be given to someone else, and you may not be able to gain a place back on your chosen course/subject.

We advise you to wait for your GCSE results day before making any decision so you have a full-time course to fall back on should the outcome not be what you expected.

Yes, you can but only before the October half-term of that year so you can catchup on the assignments. This will also depend on your predicted/final grades.

Channelside – If you want to change courses you need to speak to your current course tutor and then be referred to Student Services. We will then review your grades and if you meet the entry requirements, we will arrange a course transfer and contact the course tutor. If you do not meet the entry requirements, we will provide guidance on alternative courses.

The Sixth Form – There will be a programme change day 2 weeks after you start your course. You can collect and fill-in a form at reception, which you will need your current and new tutor to sign or speak to your PPC. This will also depend on your grades. Some subjects may not be available if you do not meet the entry requirements, or the classes are over-subscribed.

APD (Academic Personal Development) are independent study sessions where you can complete   assignments or tasks set by the tutor on the VLE/Moodle. This time can also be used to revise for exams and practise presentations.

Personal Progress Coach (PPC) lessons are pastoral subjects, covering progression after college i.e., applying for jobs, university, apprenticeships etc.

APD and PPC lessons are mandatory as part of your study programme and must be attended by all students.

Enrolment is the process of adding you to our system so you can officially become a student. We will review your grades and check you are on the correct course/subjects. We will also finalise your timetable. You will need to bring along a form of ID and your final grades/current qualifications.

If you are a 19+ adult student, you will be asked to provide proof of the following (if applicable):

• Low income/means-tested benefits to be eligible for a fee waiver
• Advanced Learner Loan letter
• Sponsorship letter from your employer if they are to be invoiced

Induction you will be given more information about your course and what is expect of your during your studies, meet the tutors, PPC and other students, learn your way around the campus and classrooms and begin your course proper.

It is important that students attend these on the dates we provide in the letter as missing these can cause setbacks for students such as falling behind on assignments and taking longer to adjust to their new environment.

Timetables are available once a student has been enrolled on the first day you start college. You will be able to view this on the MyFurnessApp on Google Play & Apple App Store.

You should inform your tutor if you are in a lesson. If there is a gap in your timetable until your next lesson and you don’t feel well, then inform the reception team or your PPC. We will need to contact your next of kin to arrange transport home/inform them of your sickness. This is required under our Safeguarding policy. Do not go home without informing a staff member. 

If you need a first aider, please report to reception (if possible) or speak to your tutor.

If you feel unwell, are late or have an appointment then you need to call our Absence line to report it. We’ll notify the tutor for you.

To report an absence call:
01229 844865 Channelside

01229 828377  The Sixth Form

Please show our reception team any medical appointment letters etc. so they can log this on the register.

All financial support (bursary) applications require you to have a bank account so payments can be made directly to you. If you apply without including your bank details, it will cause delays and you won’t receive any payments you may be entitled to in time!

We cannot accept a parent/guardian’s bank account unless there are exceptional circumstances. (You will need to provide a letter with your application explaining the reason why.)