Partnerships For Learning When teachers and parents work closely together to support students' beaming, standards of attainment improve and most difficulties can be resolved quickly and effectively. Where teachers have any concerns about your child's behaviour or progress they will contact you. By the same token, parents are encouraged to contact us if they are worried about any aspect of their child's education. Tutors or Key Stage Managers provide the most immediate points of contact. Heads of Department deal with enquiries about their own subject areas. They are available to discuss the courses they provide and to offer information on standards of attainment. Subject teachers will have direct information about your child's progress in particular subjects and about his/her attitude to learning. If you do need to contact the College, it is much more effective to telephone to arrange an appointment. This avoids delays and ensures that the member of staff has all the necessary information readily available for meetings with parents. However, if you need to discuss a situation as matter of urgency, we will always arrange for a member of staff can see you at short notice.

Student Planners Student planners provide an immediate and ongoing means of communication between home and College. As previously mentioned, teachers use the planners to record rewards given for individual achievement. Students also record their termly grades and homework in their planners. They also write in details of events or activities, which need to be planned alongside homework demands. Parents have a vital role to play in monitoring the use of these planners and we ask you to: check homework details in the planners and that children do homework sign the planners weekly and comment where required recognise and praise students for rewards or achievements recorded discuss your child's progress regularly with them and be aware of any learning targets they have set themselves read any letters from the College and indicate that they have been read. The student planners are subject to regular amendment and we welcome suggestions for possible improvement.

The Parent Teacher Association The aims of the PTA are to: develop supportive relationships between staff, parents and others associated with the College, Support and advance the education that the College provides All parents and teaching and non-teaching staff are members of the Association and are eligible for election to the Committee. The Committee arranges a number of fund raising events and have proved to be enjoyable and rewarding for parents. Increasingly, the Committee also acts as a forum through which parents can discuss and debate educational issues with other parents and teachers. The work of the PTA is important in strengthening the bond between parents and the College and supporting our shared purposes.

Education Business Partnership The College enjoys flourishing and supportive links with Business and Industry right across the curriculum. Our business partners enrich our work in the area of Careers Education, Work Experience, carrying out mock interviews with students, facilitating visits to the workplace and supporting course work in Technology, Science, GNVQ Business and IT. Recently, the College has been awarded a diploma in Education Business Partnerships, entitled 'Investors in Business" for its extensive links with Business Partners. The College is very appreciative of the time, effort, interest and expertise that our Business Partners generously give to the College. For example, we are indebted to Tesco for developing a tailor-made programme to train our Prefects in leadership skills and for running the course each year in three progressive sessions. A large number of businesses support our Work Experience programme and provide well structured placements for students in the summer term of Year 10. KEY THOUGHT: WE ENCOURAGE A DESIRE FOR LIFE-LONG LEARNING IN A HAPPY, CARING AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT