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In 2016 the Skills Funding Agency rated the college the fourth best provider in the country for 16-18 apprenticeships and sixth best provider for timely achievement rates for classroom based learning.

To help you and your young person make a decision about further education check out the following link to the parental guidance website.

Bishop Auckland College is committed to providing a quality learning experience for all our students. You can find a summary of our mission, vision and values statement here.

Useful Information

Term dates and calendar

For information about the college’s term dates and holidays, click here.

Careers

The College offers a comprehensive programme of careers education, advice and guidance, for detailed information please click here for more details.

Transport

We provide transport for all our full-time students aged 16-18 years. We may also be able to help with costs for our adult students, this would be subject to meeting the eligibility criteria. For information, check out our transport page here.

Examinations

Students must be outside the examination room at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start time.
They must have photographic ID and all necessary equipment i.e. pens, pencils, rules, calculators etc. These should be in a clear pencil case.
Photographic ID can include – college ID card, passport, driving licence etc.
Outdoor clothing is not permitted i.e. hats, scarves, coats.
Mobile phones/MP3 players/watches etc. should not be brought into the exam room.
The use of headphones or any other electronic devices is prohibited.
Students should listen and follow all instructions given by the invigilator.

Any infringement of the regulations could result in disqualification from the examination.

If you have any queries about the above please contact the college for clarification.

Reporting an absence

To ensure the safety of all our learners, it is important that you notify the college immediately of any absence. You can contact the college by telephone on 01388 436804 or click here to complete the details online.

Support For Learning

Learner support funds

The discretionary learner support funds provide financial support to students to help them access further education. The funds are prioritised for those who face financial hardship and are subject to eligibility requirements.

They can be used to help with:

Essential course items
Childcare costs (provider must be registered with Ofsted)
Travel costs for students over 19 years old
Course fees

Counselling Service

The college offers a counselling service for students Monday to Thursday term time only. Referral forms can be obtained from the Student Progress Mentors in Student Services or by e-mail: counsellingservice@bacoll.ac.uk

Click here to view our Counselling Service Leaflet.

Support for Students

Our aim is to help students to study and to achieve their learning goals. We are committed to providing sensitive and individualised support for all our students.

The team will try to help with any queries or problems and if they cannot help they will try to find someone who can.

Support is wide-ranging and includes help with health issues, mentoring and anger management. A personal, confidential service is available and staff can help learners’ access external agencies offering specialist advice and support on many topics including homelessness, pregnancy, drug/alcohol abuse etc.

Support groups are available to students including Beyond the Bump (young parents and parents-to-be) and Young Carers.

If students have a learning difficulty/disability or need assistance when taking an examination they are encouraged to discuss their needs with their tutor or student progress mentor as soon as possible to ensure that appropriate support is in place.

Safety

E-Safety

The college is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of ALL its learners. We particularly want our students’ experiences to be positive, educationally meaningful and productive. When using a computer at home or at the College here are some useful tips that we recommend to our students to keep them safe online.

Top Ten Tips

Regularly change your password, don’t make it easy to guess and don’t share it with others.
Take care when using social networking sites; it’s always a good idea to set a profile to private. Think before you tweet and blog, remember in most cases content you post can be read by everyone. Never agree to meet up with a stranger you have met online.
Avoid email scams, if it seems to be too good to be true then it probably is. Never confirm your bank details via email and avoid opening attachments from unknown sources.
Protect your data – back it up and carry out regular virus scans. The College machines virus scan automatically but make sure you do this at home. Be careful when using memory sticks as they can easily be lost (make sure that they don’t contain sensitive data) or broken (make sure you have backups – in College save your work to your user area).
Make sure that your wireless network, if applicable, at home is secure.
Be careful when disclosing any personal details online (e.g. address, date of birth).
Invest in security software and keep your system software at home up to date.
When shopping online always use a reputable site, one that displays visible security features such as an https address or a yellow icon padlock.
Consider your health when using technology. Adjust your seating and take regular breaks. Remember too that constantly cranking up the volume could cause long-term damage to your hearing.
If there are any incidents of cyberbullying please inform either your tutor or Student Services as soon as it happens.

Student ID Cards

Students are issued with a photo ID card. They must wear this at all times as it allows access to college facilities and is also used as a library card.

Should a student misplace or lose their card they should see Reception for assistance. There is no charge for Student ID cards but if it is lost and a replacement is required, then this will incur a small charge.

Prevent Duty

All further education providers have a duty to safeguard their students, Prevent is about safeguarding our learners to keep them both safe and within the law. The Prevent Duty is not about preventing students from having political and religious views and concerns but about supporting them to use those concerns or act on them in a non-extremist way. Providers from across the sector have access to resources to support them in adopting the Prevent duty, click here for more information

Equality and Diversity

At Bishop Auckland College we pride ourselves in promoting diversity and equality of opportunity and are fully committed to the principle of equality for all. Every student has the right to be treated fairly and with respect by all students and staff.

The College actively works towards offering equality of opportunity to all learners and staff irrespective of gender, marital status, family responsibilities, caring status, sexual orientation, nationality, religious belief, ethnic origin, disability, age or social background.

If you feel that you or anyone else has been unfairly treated, please contact a Student Progress Mentor or any member of staff in Student Services.

British Values

We all live in Britain and we are all different. We should understand that while different people may hold different views about what is right and wrong, we are all subject to British law.

British Values are about:

Democracy: Britain has a government that is voted for by people in the country which is a fair and equal society and gives the people of Britain a voice in how the country is run.
The rule of law: Britain has laws that are made to keep people safe and we need to respect the civil and criminal law of England.
Individual liberty: We can live as we choose and have our own opinions about things as long as we don’t break the law.
Mutual respect: We might not always agree with what other people say but we show respect for their thoughts and feelings. We also show respect for and understanding of our own and other peoples different cultural traditions.
Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs: People have different faiths and beliefs or perhaps none and this should be respected, accepted and tolerated and not the cause of prejudice and discriminatory behaviour. The freedom to choose and hold other faiths and beliefs is protected by law.

Durham Local Offer

The Aspire Centre is a specialist provision for students with more complex needs. Students follow individualised programmes designed specifically to meet their interests and long-term goals. For more information please click here.