We know how important it is for you to know that your young person will be supported throughout their college experience. At Cheshire College – South & West, your young person is at the heart of everything we do, and we are also here for you.
We are here to support you and your young person, whether it’s financial support to free transport, we aim to make coming to College easier.
We have over £164 million invested in state-of-the-art, industry-standard facilities. Your young person will have access to everything they would be using in industry.
“My daughter joined Cheshire College and immediately we were greeted by friendly and extremely knowledgeable staff, who immediately put us at ease. She enrolled immediately and we were fully supported throughout the whole process. She has thrived at Cheshire College and has just enrolled on another course to continue her education. I cannot recommend Cheshire College enough for their care and support provided. My daughter is thriving and is happier than ever.”
Open Evening
Cheshire College welcomes you and your young person to Campus to find out what we have to offer!
Apply for Support
You will be able to apply for Financial Support and Free Transport if your young person is an eligible student.
First Day at College
Your young person’s education starts here and Cheshire College will be here to support you and them through it.
Guidance Meeting
You and your young person will be welcomed to talk and get advice on the course that they want to do!
Welcome Day
Your young person will be invited for a taster day at their Campus to get to know what College will be like!
Parent & Carer Webinar
You will be invited to a Welcome Webinar after your young person starts to help with any questions you have.
Place Offered
If their guidance evening is successful, your young person will be offered a place at Cheshire College!
Enrolment Day
Once your young person gets their grades, you and they will be invited to officially enrol them onto their course.
Online Parents’s Evenings
There will be periodical online Parents’s Evenings for easy access to update you on your young person’s education.
All student absences must be reported by 8.30am daily through the Absence App, this can be found on the Student Intranet page. It’s important that all students report their absences daily, as any absence that isn’t reported will be followed up with parents and carers. Absence from College may indicate there are barriers to learning where we can offer support. Persistent absence from college will be monitored and dealt with following the College’s attendance policy.
All students can access pro-portal, where they can access, attendance and progress and assessment grades. Parent/Carers can access ParentPortal, step by step guide is on the website.
All students on a 16-19 programme are allocated a Personal Development Tutor, that meet with them weekly through 1 hour deliver sessions and termly 1:1 meeting. The Personal Development Tutor can support learners with pastoral issues, attendance and their progress.
Our students’ welfare and safety is our highest priority and we are committed to making sure that our students and staff are protected from harm.
The College Be Safe Team offers advice and guidance to students.
Useful links:
Safeguarding Policy
Anti-Harassment & Bullying Policy
Prevent Strategy
Student Protection Plan
Students can raise concerns through their personal development tutors, inclusive learner advisers, learning support officers and their tutor. If it’s a safeguarding concern, they can report through to the Be Safe team, access to the team can be found on the student intranet page, on the Be Safe tile.
The College offers FREE transport for students aged 16-18 living over one mile from the Campus where their course is delivered.
Depending on their home location students will travel via:
College Coach Service (Crewe Campus Only)
Public transport
Country Council transport
For more information, please visit our Free Transport page.
For students who wish to cycle to College, we have plenty of secure cycle storage and racks. There are also changing and drying facilities in our Sports departments to enable cyclists to change before going to class.
If you would like more information you can get in touch with one of our College Transport Offices based at the Campus where you will be studying:
Crewe Campus: 01270 654654
Ellesmere Port Campus: 01244 656200
Chester Campus: 01244 656200
The 16-19 Bursary Fund
This fund provides financial support to help students aged 16-18 remain in education.
Discretionary Bursary
Students can also apply for a discretionary bursary if they enrolled on a course at age 16-18 and are continuing on the same course now that they are aged 19 or over, or if they have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
There are two types of discretionary bursary:
1. Enhanced Bursary
Students in one of the defined vulnerable groups may receive up to £1,200 per year. This includes young people aged 16-18 who are in care, care leavers, on income support or universal credit in their own name, or those receiving both Employment Support Allowance and Disability Living Allowance/Personal Independence Payments.
2. Discretionary Bursary Based on Household Income
This support is available to students with a household income of £35,000 or less. The funding is awarded to help meet individual needs and may cover costs such as transport, meals, books, trips and college equipment.
For more information, please check our Bursary Fund Guidance Notes.
If a student has previously had exam access arrangements at school, these are not automatically carried forward to college so you/they will need to take some action for these to be put in place at college.
What action do you need to take?
Please provide us with evidence to support their need. This could include (but is not limited to):
• Specialist Evidence confirming a diagnosis of disability or learning difficulty, this could be a letter/ report from:
– HCPC registered Psychologist
– CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services)
– Medical consultant (not a GP)
– Speech and Language Therapist
– Local Authority specialist service, e.g. Occupational Therapist or Sensory Impairment Specialist
• Current Education Health Care Plan (EHCP)
• Information from school such as:
– Copy of signed ‘Form 8’
– Copy of School’s Centre File Note/ Form 9
Please email a copy of all relevant evidence to als@ccsw.ac.uk All evidence must be received by end of September.
All students on a 16-19 study programme will attend a 1 hour session with the focus being to develop life skills and prepare for the world of work. Examples of some topics will include money management, healthy relationships, internet safety, looking after your wellbeing/mental health, UCAS and employability skills.
Parent Portal is our exclusive online hub for parents and carers, designed to keep you informed and involved every step of the way. With 24/7 access, you can view your young person’s predicted grades, attendance records, and other important updates.
Once your young person has enrolled on their course, you can easily set up an account and log in at any time to track their progress, stay connected, and follow their journey at Cheshire College. Follow our ParentPortal guide to find out how to make an account.
Having trouble signing up or accessing your account? Don’t worry, we’re here to help. Simply email parentportal@ccsw.ac.uk with a brief description of the issue, and our team will get back to you as soon as possible with guidance and support.
If your young person participates in one of the College’s public services, be sure to book in and support them! Whether it be booking a table at one of our Academy restaurants or getting in an appointment at our salon, there’s more ways than you might think to support your young person’s education.
You may see a fee attached to the course you’re interested in, but if you are 19+ there may be funding options available to cover the cost of your course.
Get in touch with admissions@ccsw.ac.uk if you’d like anymore information.
