We offer various types of support for our students and we also deal with exam arrangements. Please note that exam arrangements do not automatically transfer from school, so you will need to be reassessed at College.
The Study Support department deals with exam access arrangements, including extra time, readers, scribes etc. Exam arrangements do not transfer automatically from school and it is your responsibility to get the relevant documents from your school (a Form 8 or 9) about the exam access arrangements you had. You will need to give these to Study Support when you start college. We will send an email out to parents requesting this information.
When a student with Extra Time progresses from GCSE studies to A level and/or other Level 3 qualifications, a new online application for 25% extra time must be made by the College. To do this, the College must have available evidence, which clearly shows that 25% extra time is still needed from their teacher for each subject. In line with the JCQ AARA 25/26, the College will not be able to simply roll forward a candidate’s extra time and apply for extra time until the teaching staff at the College have provided the required appropriate evidence in their subject.
Coloured paper: It is not possible or reasonable for the College to provide students with coloured paper due to the large volumes of exams and candidates at our centre. Alternatives ways of working such as the use of coloured overlays (available on Amazon) or wearing coloured glasses are recommended.
Computer readers and scribes/word processers: In line with the JCQ guidelines and the focus on preparing candidates for the workplace, the college does not use human resources for reading and scribing. Candidates will be awarded computer readers and word processors with spellchecker enabled where appropriate and JCQ criteria are met.
Separate Rooms: Due to the number of students in College, we are unable to offer separate rooms for exams unless a student has a medical diagnosis of Tourette's Syndrome.
If you have any queries about your exam arrangements (e.g. extra time), please email studysupport@farnborough.ac.uk.
Some students may prefer to have support with a Learning Mentor who is part of the Study Support team. Each weekly timetabled session focuses on the work they have been set within their subject areas. It is a time to discuss any issues that may be barriers to learning, as well as making sure that they understand set tasks and instructions, and helping with organisation and managing time.
Specialist Coaching is a timetabled weekly session to work with the help of a SpLD specialist teacher. The session is particularly useful for students with dyslexia, ASC and ADHD and is a good opportunity to work with your teacher to explore metacognition strategies. The student leaves each session with a new strategy for their 'strategy toolbox.' The session also includes a wellbeing check in and an opportunity to work on subject homework or coursework, revision and consolidation.
Structured Study is a timetabled lesson to work with the help of a Learning Mentor. The session is about exploring strategies to tackle the difficulties that some students have when learning, for example when writing essays, proofreading or managing their time. Students can work individually or choose to work with others in the group, focussing on areas of weakness and relating this to their coursework or exam preparation needs.
EHCP students will be invited to attend their college interview with a member of the Study Support staff at the interview stage. Parents are welcome to join this meeting to discuss needs, course choices and available support at college.
ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) provides short-term emotional wellbeing support for students. It focuses on emotional literacy, coping strategies, and self-regulation to support engagement with learning.
TALA (Therapeutic Active Listening Assistant) provides a listening service for students who may not have a safe space elsewhere to talk through their worries and experiences.
BEAT (Beating Exam Anxiety Together) is a 5 week course, for high achieving students who struggle with anxiety purely around exams.
We know that the jump from GCSE level studies to post-16 studies is huge, and students often don’t have the independent study skills, techniques or organisational skills to make this leap as successfully as they want to. This is where the Grade Riser comes in - a wonderful opportunity to gain study skills for post-16 studies, further and higher education, and life.
The Grade Riser drop-in sessions take place every week and cover time management, revision and consolidation techniques and exam skills.
These are self referral appointments available to all students. The 30 minute sessions cover all general study skills such as time management, organisation, revision techniques, essay writing and exam techniques. Students can book these sessions themselves via Cristalweb.
We also offer the following: