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Information for Parents

The following information and access to the Parent Portal are designed to help you remain actively involved in your child's education.

Access the Parent Portal here
We know that you want the very best for your kids whatever age they are and that includes making the right choices when it comes to their education too. We also know that your support can make a real difference to their success, which is why we want to reassure you that we can offer all the support and help they need to start their journey towards a successful career.

We've put together a handy guide to School Leaver choices at B&FC.

Everyone at B&FC works hard to help every students enjoy a fulfilling and rewarding experience in a friendly and supportive environment.

From Employability Coaches to the Students' Union, we provide a huge range of services and facilities to deliver on this pledge.

Read our Partners for Success (FE & Apprenticeships) Guide to find out more about our outstanding student experience - from enrolment to completion and graduation. 

 

Free shuttle bus from Poulton-le-Fylde to Bispham Campus

We offer a complimentary shuttle bus service to Bispham Campus - from and to Poulton-le-Fylde train station, with stops in between.

See the B&FC shuttle bus timetable.

 

Specialist support

If your child has specific requirements, our experienced and specialist team members will work with you to identify and provide appropriate support. This could include special examination access arrangements.

To find out more, contact the Student Support and Wellbeing team:
Call: 01253 504356
Email: learningsupport@blackpool.ac.uk

 

Supporting young people through GCSEs

As the exam season approaches, there are a number of ways you can offer your support to ensure the best chance of success.

We’ve outlined these below, together with our top revision/exam tips and useful links and resources for important subjects like English and maths.

 

In the run up to exams...

Get organised
Make sure they have all the revision/exam materials they need.

Plan
Help them produce a revision timetable that breaks study into short chunks and allows time for breaks/time out.

Make space
Create a quiet place to study and identify a study time that works best for them.

Get involved
Go through school notes with them or listen while they revise a topic. Test them too by asking questions about what they’ve learnt. You could also time attempts at questions on practice exam papers

Write reminders
Place post-it notes around the house to help with learning keywords and phrases, particularly for language subjects.

Offer support
Be there for them as much as you can and talk to them to provide reassurance and encouragement.

Look after them
Make sure they eat well, get regular exercise and have lots of sleep, particularly on the nights before exams. Popping up with a snack and a drink is a good excuse to check how they’re getting on too.

Be nice
Try not to make too many demands on them and encourage other family members to be sensitive to the pressures they’re under.

Provide time out
Try to reach a compromise about using laptops and tablets etc for ‘study’ time versus ‘social’ time.

Be prepared
Help them to get organised in advance of exams to avoid any rushing around and last-minute panics on the day itself.

 

Top revision tips for students...

Pass on our top revision tips to make sure they get the most out of their revision.

Ask for help
Make sure you understand what you’re revising. If not, research it or ask a friend. Better still, ask your teacher to explain it. They might even be running revision classes you could join.

No night-before revision
Avoid revision the night before. You’ll just stress yourself out trying to cram it all in at the last minute. Complete your revision early, relax for the rest of the day, read over your notes and get an early night.

Help yourself
Start early to make the most of the day. Find somewhere quiet to study and leave your phone/tablet in another room so you won’t get distracted.

Practise on past papers
Ask your teacher for past papers or google them yourself. Doing past papers improves your exam technique, leading to extra marks and less stress on the day.

Stay focused
It seems tough now, but keep in mind the better you do in your exams the better your chances in the future. Remember - it will be worth it in the end.

 

On the day...

Here our top tips for doing well on the day for you to share.

No last-minute revision
Don’t try testing yourself on specific questions - this will just make you panic about what you think you don’t know. If you've kept to your revision plan, and you’re calm, the answers will come naturally.

Be prepared
Make sure you arrive at least 15 minutes before the start of the exam with the right equipment.

Be thorough
Nerves can make it easy to mis-read things so take time to read all the questions carefully.

Prioritise
Look at the marks for each question. More marks require a more detailed answer. Make sure you answer all the questions.

Time-manage
For exams with longer essay-style questions work out how much time you need to devote to each question and stick to it.

Plan
Use bullet points to set out your answer before writing it out in full.

Be accurate
Remember to use correct spelling, punctuation and grammar, particularly in GCSE English. Use the correct units in GCSE Maths, for example ‘cm’ for ‘centimetres’.

Final-check
Allow time at the end to go through your answers to make sure you’re happy with your answers.

 

Afterwards...

When the exams are over, why not celebrate all their hard work (and yours!) with a treat, such as a meal out or a trip to the cinema.

 

The importance of English and Maths

All GCSEs are important but none more so than English and maths. Research shows that good English and maths skills lead to better career and education opportunities.

English and maths can also increase earnings potential: those in the top 15% of maths scores are likely to earn around an extra £2,100 per year while being in the top 15% of reading skills provides an average salary boost of £550 per year.

Employers attach great value to these skills because they provide the basis for so many other important attributes in the workplace, for example communication, team-working and problem-solving.

According to recent reports from Mercedes Benz, despite having 5,000 apprenticeship opportunities and some 30,000 applications, they were still unable to fill all these positions because of a lack of English and maths qualifications.

Make sure your son/daughter/ward prioritises these subjects in their revision timetable and encourage them to make use of the links and resources below.

 

Useful links and resources

Practice exam papers

GCSE English:
AQA
AQA - Assessment resources 
GCSE Maths:
Pearson

 

Learning resources

GCSE English:
YouTube - AQA Search
GCSE Maths:
Corbettmaths
MyMaths
YouTube - mathantics
Mr. Carter Maths

 

Contact Us

Don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
Call: 01253 352352
Parent, Guardian & Carer Guide to Apprenticeships
If your child is thinking of doing an apprenticeship or already enrolled on one, here is all the information you need as a parent to support your child through their programme or guide them in their decision on whether an apprenticeship is right for them.