News round up: Exeter College supporting the community during the lockdown

Over the last few months, we, as a college, community, and a nation, have experienced a lot of firsts. We’re proud to have stepped up to help, supporting people through these difficult times. Here’s our round up of the most popular stories on our website since the lockdown began. 

WE MOVED TO HOME AND ONLINE LEARNING 

Following the advice from Public Health England, the Government and the NHS, Exeter College sites closed for the majority of learners.

Although the Exeter College site closed, learning never stopped. Thanks to our expert staff, students’ exceptional education continued remotely. 

In a bid to offer further support, we provided our top tips on how to study at home, a guide on how to set up work and learning areas and our Health and wellbeing expert shared his advice on how to look after yourself during the lockdown. 

Find out more about our move to remote learning.

WE OFFERED ACCOMMODATION TO NHS WORKERS

Exeter College has opened the doors of its Clock Tower accommodation to NHS workers in need of a place to stay during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.  

“Staff at Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital are working incredibly hard to save lives on the front line. As a community organisation, we felt it’s only right that we offer everything we can to help them and the NHS,”
– Kristyn Woodward, Exeter College Director of Student Experience.

Find out more.  

**WE LAUNCHED FLYING START FOR STUDENTS JOINING US IN SEPTEMBER**

We knew lots of students were keen to get a head start on their College subjects before joining us. So, we developed Flying Start; our suite of pre-enrolment learning content, getting students to think about their new subjects with us. 

“Flying Start provides some small introductory pieces of work, as well as some suggested background reading on subjects,”
– Jade Otty, Exeter College Vice Principal.

Access our Flying Start pre-enrolment work. 

Find out more about Flying Start. 

WE JOINED FORCES WITH PPE4EXETER

In Partnership with PPE4Exeter, a grassroots community project, Exeter College supported the production and distribution of Personal Protective Equipment for community-bases health and care workers.

We have helped PPE4Exeter provide local centres with safety glasses, face masks, gloves and face shields.

Find out more about our partnership with PPE4Exeter. 

WE LINKED UP WITH FOOD4HEROES TO PROVIDE MEALS TO NHS STAFF

We offered our state-of-the-art industrial kitchen facilities to Food4Heroes; a charity that provides free nutritious meals to frontline NHS staff during the Coronavirus pandemic.  

Exeter College’s @34 training kitchens are now in use, providing 200 nutritionally balanced, free meals to NHS staff at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital daily. 

Find out more. 

WE CAUGHT UP WITH OUR STUDENTS

We shared how our students were getting on with their remote learning.

“Despite all the uncertainty with the current situation, the transition to home learning has been smooth. It has been good to have some continuity and a reason to force some structure into what could be empty days,”
– Tom Matthew, FE Student Governor.

We also got in touch with Madeline Crow, an Exeter College student who ended her studies early to join the NHS front line staff in the fight against coronavirus.

Find out more about how our students have found remote learning.

WE MOVED OUR OPEN EVENTS ONLINE

We wanted to offer people the chance to discover everything our Ofsted Outstanding further education provider has to offer, from the comfort of their own home.

With our Apprenticeship Online Open Event and our Online Showcase being a success, we will soon be rolling out our Adult Online Open Event for anyone who wants to learn a new skill or further their career.

Applications are open now to study at Ofsted Outstanding Exeter College in September 2020.

Why Flying Start is the best introduction to studying at Exeter College

We recently launched Chapter One of our Flying Start  scheme of work, introducing our next generation of students to the subjects they’ve chosen to study with us.

All full-time school leaver courses with Exeter College now have a suite of exciting pre-enrolment learning content. Designed by subject leaders, Flying Start gives our future students the best possible start to learning with Exeter College from September 2020.

Although not compulsory, Flying Start gives new students an insight into their future education and prepares them for learning at the next level.

Here’s why we think Flying Start is the best way to settle into Exeter College…

It gets you prepared

Your subject leaders have created a range of engaging tasks, introducing you to your education at Exeter College. 

These activities are designed to help and support you to think at a college level. Each course is different and offers a range of tasks; from subject-based exercises to useful shows to watch, brainteasers to suggested research that you might want to complete before enrolment. 

In the past students have found Flying Start incredibly helpful. Understanding the course structure while developing subject knowledge and skills can help to improve your confidence before you start with us in September. 

Specialise in your subject 

Our Flying Start programme has tailored tasks to each course, allowing you to find out more about the curriculum. If you didn’t study your subject at GCSE level, these exercises are especially beneficial in supporting your transition to a subject that’s new to you.

If you have previously studied your subject, these tasks allow you to think deeply about your studies. It will also prepare for the change from school to college. 

Additionally, Flying Start can help to answer a lot of the questions you may have about the course content. This can help to make you feel extra prepared when you take on those first few weeks at College.

Think about your subject in a different way 

Not only does Flying Start offer a range of exciting introductory tasks, but it also allows you to explore questions related to your subject – igniting new interests in your studies. 

This programme is all about exploring your initial ideas. Although formal marking won’t take place, tasks will be discussed in initial lessons, so you should bring along what you have done over the summer. This can also be beneficial as you find out how your peers have responded to the activities; allowing you to expand further on your knowledge as you see different answers and viewpoints.

Explore your options

Not sure what you want to study yet? We don’t expect you to have everything figured out, that’s why we’re making all subjects available for you to try out via Flying Start. Apply now and we will give you access to all course types and subjects. If you decide later on that you don’t think you’ve picked the right course, don’t panic! Get in touch and we can discuss your options.

Flying Start is for all school leavers with a conditional offer to study a full-time Level 2 or Level 3 course with us in 2020. If you’re thinking of studying with us and would like to take engage with Flying Start, apply now for a September start. We will email Chapter One content to you once your offer has been confirmed. Chapter Two will launch around the May half term.

Make a Flying Start with Exeter College in 2020

We know lots of students are keen to get a head start on their College subjects before joining us, and that’s why we’ve developed Flying Start; our suite of pre-enrolment learning content to get you thinking about your new subjects with us.

Flying Start is for all school leavers with a conditional offer to study a full-time Level 2 or Level 3 course with us in 2020. This year, due to the Government closure of all schools and colleges in response to the spread of the Coronavirus, we have launched the content early. In turn, this will give our new learners more time to enrich their education by thinking deeply about the subjects they have chosen to come and study for the next academic year.

“Flying Start provides some small introductory pieces of work, as well as some suggested background reading on subjects,”
Jade Otty, Vice Principal

Flying Start is designed by your subject leaders with the aim of getting you thinking at an advanced level ahead of joining us in September. With Flying Start, you’ll find questions to consider, tasks to complete and some background research you might want to undertake before enrolment.

Remember, Flying Start is designed to support you in to studying with us, help you explore your chosen subjects and get you started on exciting course content.

Although not compulsory, many students enjoy learning more about their chosen subjects ahead of joining us and find the learning content useful ahead of beginning their studies.

Completing the activities as part of Flying Start can be fitted in around existing GCSE level work and can get you motivated ahead of joining us full time in September.

Exeter College Vice Principal Jade Otty, who leads on academic performance at the College, said, “In these turbulent times, we wanted to bring forward Flying Start for our next intake of learners to give them a real flavour of what they’ll be studying with us.

“We’re really proud of Flying Start and find that it helps to increase student confidence about joining us and can help answer some questions students might have about subject content.

“Flying Start provides some small introductory pieces of work, as well as some suggested background reading on subjects. This can be especially useful for students joining us on subjects that they might not have studied at GCSE level, but is definitely worthwhile for all our learners to get to know what they’ll be learning about when they join us.”

Applicants to Exeter College with a conditional offer to study with us should check their email account for the first of two batches of Flying Start activity sheets from us in the coming days. The second round of content will launch around the May half term.

Apply now to study with Ofsted Outstanding Exeter College to get access to your suite of Flying Start learning content.

Check out the complete breakdown of the exam boards for Exeter College courses.

Find out how exceptional learning is continuing with Exeter College while we’re closed.