Student Support Services
If you are having difficulties of any kind, with work or money, relationships or family, in fact anything which may stop you from succeeding at College, Student Services may be able to help. Help and advice with personal and practical problems is available to all students. This can be arranged through your personal tutor, or you may prefer to go to the Student Services Office and make an appointment. They will make sure you see the right person quickly. Staff may refer students on to other College services or to outside agencies. And it will all be done in confidence if that’s what you would like. Support we can offer includes:
- Advice & Guidance
- Financial Support
- Support for Students with Disabilities
- Learning Support
- Childcare
Student Advisors in the Advice & Guidance Centre
Our student advisers offer a range of services including one-to-one careers guidance, advice on applications for higher education, job search skills and information on fees and grants.
They can also help you by:
- Providing information about other courses in the College.
- Talking to you about progression routes available on completion of your course.
- Helping you to make realistic decisions and planning your next steps into education or training.
Support for People with Disabilities or Learning Difficulties
The College is committed to effective and appropriate support for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including those currently suffering from mental health problems or stress. If this applies to you, it may be helpful to talk in confidence to College staff. We can provide advice on issues such as access to College centres, specialist equipment and give you an opportunity to discuss any concerns or anxieties you may have about attending classes. You can access this service directly by calling 020 8355 3926 or emailing the Learning Support Team.
Childcare
There are Ofsted registered creches at several of our centres which can provide childcare whilst you are in your class. You need to book as early as possible, because places are in great demand.
There is a day nursery at the Plumstead Centre for children over 12 months of age and creche provision at other centres. There is a charge for using the creches and the nursery but many students are subsided by the Learner Support Fund. If we cannot offer you a childcare place in one of our own facilities and you are eligible for help from the Learner Support Fund, we may be able to organise a place for your child or children with a registered child minder.
We also have a Full-time Day Nursery at the Plumstead centre.
Please contact the childcare team on 020 8488 4820 for further details.
Learning Resources Service
It’s a fact that by using the Learning Resources Service you are more likely to complete your course and gain a qualification.
Our Learning Resources Centre (LRC) at Plumstead provides a welcoming place to study and catch up on your learning. Theres a Library Zone containing over 50,000 books, DVDs and journals, whilst our Computer Zone has over 80 computers and is available on a drop-in basis. You will have access to the Student Intranet, the Internet and specialist software. A smaller Cyber Cafe is available at our Greenwich Park Centre. The Student Intranet is networked across College sites and contains subject web pages with information about your course and a vast range of useful online learning resources and study skills advice. Many of the online journals, encyclopaedias and databases can also be accessed over the web from home. Ask in the LRC for a username and password for home access.
For more information please contact the LRC on 020 8488 4813 or 020 8355 3983.
LEO is your virtual e-ibrary and learning area – all in one. LEO is networked wherever you have access to computers in the college and is also accessible wherever you have internet access – at home, at work, or even on holiday.
There’s a vast amount of online information on Leo e-Library including full text journals, encyclopaedias and databases. The student union has a lively site and there is also access to study support, syllabuses and course materials.
Leo – Learning Online also lets you access your course via the internet and is an exciting new way to learn while you study with us. Leo lets you study parts of your course via the internet and e-mail your tutor or class to discuss study topics. If any part of your course is available your tutor will give you a user name and password. For more information contact the Plumstead Learning Resources Centre on 020 8488 4813 or email lib-help@gcc.ac.uk.
Welfare Advice / Learner Support Fund
The College Welfare Officer and Learning Support Fund Manager, Karen Withers will be able to help you with advice on a whole range of financial and benefits issues – or will be able to tell you where you can go for more specialist support. The Learner Support Fund provides help to students who are less well off. For more information please call 020 8355 4098.
Work Experience
Some courses will require you to have a work experience placement. Your placement should give you an invaluable insight into how your studies fit into the real world. A current Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure is needed if you are applying for courses where you will have a work placement with children or vulnerable adults. A disclosure is a check undertaken by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) on all people seeking to work with children and/or vulnerable adults. This is to ensure that you do not have a criminal record, which would make you unsuitable for work of this nature. This must be applied for before you begin your course and currently costs £44. You will not be able to undertake a placement without it.
Student Union and Student Council
The College has an active and lively Student Union. All courses have an elected course representative who can then attend the College Student Council on behalf of all the students in their class and influence how the college is run. There are students representatives on the College Corporation and all other major decision making forums. Students also have a role in the quality monitoring meetings of their own courses.
We encourage you to join as it provides you with the opportunity to influence how the College is run.
Travel Passes
As well as free travel for 16 to 18 year olds – applications for these are done at the Post Office; it is possible for over 18s to apply for a Student Discount Card which will give you a 30% discount on your travel. Forms are available from the Student Union office and Reception at the Plumstead Centre. You do need to be studying more than 12 hours a week to qualify – you can check your eligibility by calling the Transport for London helpline on 0845 330 9876.
