OSFC Newsletter

Welcome to the newsletter marking the end of 2023! And for the students and staff here at the Sixth Form College it signals the end of a very long term. It also means there has been lots happening, and some of the highlights are captured in the sections below.

The first generation of our Varsity Programme students successfully graduated in November receiving great applause at their Celebration Evening , and already the next cohort of 160 students have started the 2023/2024 programme. The vast majority of students have now completed their UCAS applications and we are delighted to learn that a record 18 of our Year 13 students have been invited to interview by either Oxford or Cambridge University in mid-December, and that 5 Year 12 students have been awarded places on the highly competitive OxNet outreach programme run by Pembroke College, Oxford University. 2 students will be joining the OxNet English cohort, a further 2 will be participating in Science, with 1 more joining the Humanities strand.

Thank you to all the Year 12 parents who made appointments to speak to subject teachers on parent’s evening - it is such a pleasure to give feedback on how new students to the college have settled in and started to make great progress. And now that Year 12 have found their feet we start, in the new year, interviewing for next September’s new students.

Also in the new year we look forward to the Maths and English GCSE resit results day. There are external exams for students on most vocational programmes and Year 13 parents evenings take place, all before January comes to a close.

Enjoy scrolling.

The Science department has been amazingly busy this term with speakers, trips, and events taking place. Maggie Philbin and the Teen Tech team visited in November to launch the teen tech awards. Maggie said: ‘We really loved working with the students at Oldham Sixth Form College. They were bright and thoughtful and our industry experts were very impressed by the quality of their thinking. People sometimes assume these events are all about the students learning from experts but just as much learning goes the other way too. The students are contributing to a Young Person’s Charter for Ethical Innovation which will be shared with engineers globally.’

On December 6th students attended the Christmas lecture at Manchester University delivered by the Hon. Dorothy Wedgwood OBE on the subject of “Humanitarian Medicine: What is it? Where does it come from? Why do we need it? - A dialogue on the past, present and future of humanitarian medicine.

OSFC Alumnus, Matthew Jamshed returned to college on Thursday 16th November to speak to Year 12 Oxbridge Group students who are now beginning to look into their future options, as well as Year 13 students who had submitted their applications to Oxford or Cambridge. Matthew attended OSFC from 2011 to 2013, studying A Levels in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Maths, leaving with fantastic A*A*AA results. Matthew went on to study at Keble College, Oxford University, for 4 years, graduating with a Masters in Chemistry. After Oxford, Matthew joined BP’s graduate scheme in London, rotating through a number of operational and commercial roles in BP’s trading division. In 2021, Matthew moved to a commercial and business development role in BP Pulse, the BP business unit responsible for the rollout of BP’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the globe.

Matthew remembers his time at OSFC fondly;

During his visit, Matthew shared with the Oxbridge students his experiences of applying to universities and offered advice on the interview process. He also spoke to them about his time at Oxford, giving them an insight into student life and what it is like to study at one of the country's most competitive universities. He also encouraged all students to make the most of their time at OSFC:

We always appreciate our former students offering their time to help our current students - thanks again to Matthew!

If you are OSFC Alumni and are interested in coming into talk to current students, or have an interesting career journey to share since leaving college, please email marketing@osfc.ac.uk.

Every Tuesday, a dedicated team of Year 12 and Year 13, OSFC Science and Maths students have been mentoring Year 10 students at Hathershaw College. They have been helping them with subject specific support and offering study habit advice. Well done to all involved!

Our students are fantastic at helping others and as part of the Xtras enrichment programme we have a number of students working with local primary and secondary schools pupils on their reading, number work and science. It is a great opportunity for our students to gain experience of working with others and get a flavour of what working in education is like. The impact on the pupils being supported is significant, and these programmes run throughout the year.

The musical What's The Story...? is set in the late 1990's, following a group of Manchester teenagers who sneak in to see Oasis at their legendary sell out gig at Knebworth. They are all on the cusp of the rest of their lives and this is the final summer when they will all be together. The story is set against a backdrop of 90's Britpop music, including Pulp, Republica, Blur, The Charlatans and of course Oasis. Will they get caught and be forced to travel back to Manchester, or get away with it and watch one of the most historical and celebrated gigs in history?

Manchester was the place to be in the 1990's. Nicknamed Madchester, and setting the scene for "Cool Britannia," it was a haven for indie music and cool fashion scene and this show aims to capture this unique mood and atmosphere.

A Better Way to Live! -- cop 28 and student activity

We have been encouraging everyone to 'Recycle, Reduce and Reuse' during the COP 28 conference at the start of December.

You too can do your bit! Calculate your own carbon footprint here: https://zero.giki.earth/

Calculate your plastic consumption here: https://www.earthday.org/plastic-pollution-calculator-2/

Our Year 13 students have been working hard, in collaboration with their Progress Tutors, to submit their university applications in good time. At present, over 500 UCAS applications have been submitted, with a further 600 in the process of being finalised, checked or submitted. Students have seen the benefits of making early applications, with 273 now holding at least one university offer. Students who are considering other routes, such as apprenticeships or employment, have been receiving bespoke information, advice and guidance from our experienced Futures Advisers. Pleasingly, a record 18 students have been invited to participate in interviews for potential places at either Oxford or Cambridge University, while, for the 3rd year in succession, over 40 students have submitted applications for Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science.

Please note that although the official deadline for UCAS applications is 31st January 2024, if your son or daughter hasn't yet submitted theirs, they need to do so as soon as possible to allow staff adequate time to check and finalise them.

In Year 12, students have been starting on their application journeys, considering their future paths and learning how to use the fantastic Unifrog software, supported by their Progress Tutors. They have also signed up for our support programmes, such as the Oxbridge Group and our Aspiring Medics’ and Aspiring Lawyers’ Programmes (AMP and ALP), and attended the first meetings of these groups, with ex-students and university representatives as guest speakers. In addition, we have recently learned that 5 of our Year 12s have been offered places on the prestigious OxNet programme run by Pembroke College, Oxford. A fantastic achievement.

The first cohort of students on OSFC's unique Varsity Academy recently enjoyed their graduation ceremonies, receiving plenty of coverage in the local press (see here and here).

The second cohort of 160 Varsity Academy students, from our 10 Oldham partner schools, has attended the launch event, with their parents and carers, for this year's programme. And they have also now visited OSFC for their first extension sessions - with 80 investigating Maths and Science beyond the confines of their GCSE studies, while the other 80 are stretching and challenging their knowledge and skills in English and Humanities.

We are greatly looking forward to working with them over the next 12 months!

We said thank you to our fantastic Y13 Student Ambassadors for 2023. They have done a marvellous job all year of helping out at college events such as Open Events, Parents' Evenings and more.

Year 13 student Marnie Whyatt-Beaman said that she has most enjoyed "making prospective students feel comfortable and re-assuring them it's not a scary place to be."

Drew Sajid, Year 13, enjoyed "meeting future students and their parents, and learning about their thoughts about the Sixth Form College and sharing my experience with them."

The application process for our current Y12 students recently closed and we have been reviewing the applications, ready to interview the next cohort in the new year. Best of luck to everyone who has applied!

Students and staff have been donating to Oldham Foodbank.

If you can, please make a donation here:: https://www.trusselltrust.org/make-a-donation/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlriM88eggwMVyZRoCR05BQkyEAAYASABEgICOfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Please note The Know, our learning and resources centre, will be closed to students during the Christmas holidays.

We have just completed the second College Assessment Point (CAP 2) for all students. This report is more detailed than the first and gives an overall picture of how things are progressing at college.

CAP 2 grades have already been shared with students and parents via Cedar - full details were sent in this letter last week.

The next assessment point, CAP 3, will take place after the February half-term.

Our handy guide to Cedar provides useful guidance on how to register to create an account and how to use it. If you need any help with your Cedar account please email info@osfc.ac.uk or telephone College reception on 0161 287 8000.

As a general reminder, Cedar is an excellent way to view your son or daughter’s timetable, attendance and progress reports online, as well as tutor comments. Cedar is an important form of communication between college and parents, therefore we would encourage you to please log on to the portal regularly.

There is a clear link between high levels of attendance and high academic achievement. We expect all students to attend 100% of their lessons, unless there is a genuine reason for absence. Missed lessons lead to missed learning and we expect students to take pride in their attendance. To help with this we've shared Attendance Ladders which show how many actual lessons are missed at certain percentages of attendance. Even 95% attendance will lead to 27 lessons missed at the end of the year. We continue to encourage parents to use CEDAR to help check-in on attendance. If you're not sure how to do this, or have lost your log-in details please contact the college using the following email info@osfc.ac.uk. If you have particular concerns about your son or daughter's attendance then please contact their Progress Tutor directly. Their email can be found on CEDAR using the 'email Teachers' tab on the left hand-side menu.

As vocational students continue preparing for external exams in January (exam timetables can be found on Cedar), and those studying GCSEs and AS/A Levels look toward their internal assessments (mock exams) in the week beginning 12th February, students have been given revision checklists in their tutor groups which they can also access on the Tutorial site. They will find advice and help here in planning a range of effective revision exercises, exam related practice and time management. Please encourage sons and daughters to check and use this information.

Exams for many vocational students are taking place in January 2024. Students should know if they have been entered for these exams and should check Cedar, under ‘Exam Timetable’. This will show students (and parents) what exams students have been entered for. All exams should appear here along with the room and seat numbers. Students should check this and report any errors to their subject teacher, or a member of the Examinations Team.

Exam Regulations

Oldham Sixth Form College must implement a very precise set of requirements in all exams. We can be inspected by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) at any time throughout an exams series, to ensure that we are setting the expected standards. Therefore, students must familiarise themselves with the required JCQ documents before their first exam which can be found on the College’s Exam Website (accessible to students only).

Attendance At The Exams

Punctuality is important. Exams start at 9.00am or 1.30pm (unless stated otherwise). Students must arrive at least 15 minutes prior to this time. Once the exam is over all students must go immediately to their next lesson.

All students must bring their student card with them for all exams; invigilation staff do not regularly see these students so cannot identify them in an examination room.

Equipment

It is a student’s responsibility to ensure that they have all they will need for their exams, i.e. Black Pens, Pencils, Ruler, Rubber, Sharpener, Calculator, etc in a clear pencil case/bag.

Water is allowed in the exam but must be in a transparent bottle, with all labels removed.

Mobile Phones, Watches and Other Electronic Devices

Mobile phones, watches (of any kind) and any other electronic devices will not be allowed in the examination room, this also includes headphones. Anyone found in the possession of these items during the examination, whether they intended to use it or not, will be reported to the Examination Board and may be disqualified from that examination. Students may be asked to empty their pockets if an Invigilator suspects a student of having unauthorised material on their person.

Sports caps, any hoods and woolly hats etc. that covers the ears or does not allow identification of the student will not be allowed. Refusal to observe staff requests may result in a student not being allowed into the examination room and could constitute malpractice which could be reported to the examining board.

Illness

Students should make every attempt to attend an exam, however if a student is too unwell to attend, they should report this to Oldham Sixth Form College by calling Student Services on 0161 287 8000 and complete the form on the College’s Exam Website (accessible to students only).

Information for students

Information that students must read before entering an exam can be found on the College’s Exams Website.

Summer 2024 Exam Contingency Days

Contingency days are put in place in the event of national or significant local disruption to exams in the United Kingdom, and are part of the awarding bodies’ standard contingency planning for exams.

The dates that have been set aside as the contingency days for Summer 2024 are Thursday 6th June and Thursday 13th June 2024 (afternoons only), and Wednesday 26th June 2024 (all day). This means that all exam candidates must be available to sit exams from the date of their first exam until Wednesday 26th June 2024.

The Ofqual Students Guide to Exams Summer 2024 can be read here.

Year 13 parents' evenings will take place next term on Thursday 25th and Tuesday 30th January 2024. This is an online event - we use the SchoolCloud platform. More information will be sent to parents in the new year.

Year 12 and Level 2 parents' evenings took place on Thursday 7th and Tuesday 12th December, and were very well attended, allowing helpful and productive conversations to take place between teachers and parents.

Oldham Council has been allocated £4.8 million via the Government’s Household Support Fund to support vulnerable families and individuals for 2023/24. Oldham Sixth Form College has been allocated some of this funding to support our students entitled to free meals over the Christmas holiday. If your son or daughter has been approved for a Free College Meal this year, they will receive a £40 to cover the holidays, which will be paid into their account on Friday 22nd December.

From the new year, the half-termly bursary payments will change to weekly payments. So, instead of a £120 payment on Friday 12th January 2024, eligible students will receive a £15 payment on that date, and every Friday for the rest of the term on the basis of good attendance.

For any families that are really struggling for food and provisions, please visit the Oldham Council website (www.oldham.gov.uk/wecanhelp) which lists the support and benefits that are available.

Don't forget - it's not too late to apply for the bursary - we accept applications throughout a student's time at college. All students can apply via the Student Portal. Please note payments will not be backdated.

Term dates can be found here and our key dates can be found on the calendar on our website in addition to the back pages of our Information for Parents booklet.

The College’s Local Governing Body (LGB) is currently made up of 12 Governors, two of whom are elected by parents. There is now a vacancy for a Parent Governor.

The Governors’ work touches many aspects of the College. The LGB is responsible for overseeing the running of the College in terms of learning, standards, safety and wellbeing. Also, to hold the College leadership to account for academic performance, and quality of care and provision. More generally, they are expected to be in touch with the local community and to help guide the College to meet the community’s educational needs. The election process is open to any parent who has a child currently registered at the College. The term ‘parent’ is taken to include a guardian/carer or anyone who has parental responsibility for a student at OSFC.

Further information and a nomination form can be found by clicking here. Completed nomination forms and candidate statements should be returned to the Clerk to the Governors, Mrs Jan Jones, by email on jjs@osfc.ac.uk or at College by 4.00pm on 19th January 2024. For queries please email jjs@osfc.ac.uk or telephone 0161 287 8000 extension 2221.

If you have changed your contact details such as mobile number, email address, home address and/or telephone number, please remember to update these with College via Cedar or info@osfc.ac.uk. It is really important that we hold your correct contact details in our records so we can send important communications to you when required or contact you in an emergency.

Please see a letter from the Oldham Community Safety Partnership regarding incidents during the Autumn Term on King Street and the King Street Tram Stop. The letter outlines the expectations that colleges, the Council and the Police have of young people's behaviour and the potential consequences of being involved in anti-social and incidents of violence.

I hope you found this edition an engaging and useful read. Have a peaceful break over the holiday period and a very happy New Year! As ever, if you have any feedback on this newsletter, or any other aspect of college, please email me at parentfeedback@osfc.ac.uk.

Yours sincerely,

Suzannah Reeves

Associate Principal