Every Student Matters
Every Student Matters is a cross-college initiative to protect young people, promote their wellbeing and support them to develop their full potential. Sussex Downs College is committed to this and provides services and facilities that underline the five themes of Every Student Matters:
Being healthy - Staying safe - Enjoying and achieving - Making a positive contribution - Achieving economic well-being
These key themes have been identified by the young people themselves and come from Every Child Matters agenda initiated by the Government in 2004 and taken forward through schools and other educational bodies ever since. The young people themselves through consultation have identified the five themes. Download the Every Student Matters poster (PDF)
See our poster campaign:
- Every Student Matters
- Safer Learning - you have the right to be and feel safe from abuse
- Respect the difference
- Cyberbullying - don’t be a part of it. Act to stop it now
- No Smoking - a phased smoking ban is coming to all sites this summer
The agenda places better outcomes for young people firmly at the centre of all policies and approaches involving young people services. Visit www.every childmatters.gov.uk for more information and www.escc.gov.uk on the Children and Young Peoples’ plan. Sussex Downs College promotes these key themes through all aspects of its teaching and tutorial support, as well as through enrichment and information, advice and guidance to provide a high quality learning experience that also prepares young people for the future.
Being Healthy
The personal tutorial system provides a framework of activities and information, which promote a healthy lifestyle and include physical and mental health to students. The tutorial team develop materials jointly and share their expertise in specific areas in order to give the students the best support and advice that they can. The college actively supports a non-smoking policy and smoke free zones are present at all college sites. Stop smoking guidance can be accessed as part of the college services. Students should speak with their personal tutors for more information. The college has a counselling service during the day for students. The counsellors are committed to providing a confidential, safe and supportive environment. The college promotes healthy eating at all its eating establishment at all sites providing a healthy variety of meals and drinks.
Staying Safe
Contact our Staying Safe / Safeguarding team
The college has a child protection policy and there is a named person on each campus with that responsibility. CRB checks are carried out on staff and there is a high level of awareness of child protection requirements. All college staff, teaching and support, have to wear ID badges, which includes the staff ’s photo, name, job title and department. The risk assessment procedures at the college are well documented and implemented. Risk assessments are produced for all student activities. Over the year, the college organises many events that promote people staying safe. In May 2008, Sussex Downs College worked with East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, Sussex Police and the Ambulance Service to promote the Safe Drive, Stay Alive campaign - making young drivers aware of their responsibilities on the road.
Sussex Downs College has an Equality and Diversity Policy, including a Race Equality Policy and a Harassment Policy, approved by the Corporation. It applies to all learners. If you would like to see a copy of the Policy, please ask at Reception.
See the poster: Safer Learning - you have the right to be and feel safe from abuse
Enjoying and achieving
The student surveys show that most students enjoy college and would recommend the college to their friends. All students have a code of conduct in the student handbook. This includes punctuality and attendance procedures. The procedures are explained and discussed with personal tutors at induction. There is a wide range of enrichment activities available to students. Most of these are course based and there is work in progress to widen the access to these opportunities and to provide more college wide activities. Student success is celebrated at course level with students of the week and poster displays of good performance. Throughout your time at Sussex Downs College, you will be supported by your Personal Tutor. Personal tutors create a supportive foundation through which you can achieve your academic and personal goals.
Making a positive contribution
There are a range of activities and events available to students. This includes college wide programmes and course based activities such as Enterprise companies. All students elect a group representative who then
attends a student council to discuss college issues and feedback any issues from the group. In addition, focus groups are held at course level involving the course rep but open to any students to discuss course issues in more detail.
The college is firmly behind supporting the ‘student voice’ - consulting with and using feedback from students on the issues that matter to them, which enables them to have a rich and varied learning experience. Student conferences are held every year to explore some key themes with students and the results of this will be reviewed this year. Students are encouraged to get involved with activities both inside and outside the college. Many students participate in fund raising schemes to support charities and to support their own activities.
Achieving economic well-being
Students are eligible for financial support whilst studying at the college, page 11 of this prospectus explains what advice and support is available.Sussex Downs College has excellent links with local employers and offers an educational experience through Work Based Learning, please call 01323 637199 for more information. Work experience is also organised at Sussex Downs in certain curriculum areas and careers and advice is provided to students as part of their time here. The college has a good progression to Higher Education and runs a number of entries to university activities. Visits are organised to Universities and to UCAS information sessions and students are well supported in the completion of their UCAS applications. Students can even access university level courses at Sussex Downs College in association with the University of Brighton, please visit www.sussexdowns.ac.uk/university for more information
