Care experienced students preparing to begin their studies at Newcastle College have been welcomed at a Summer School.
New and returning Newcastle College students, who are either currently in care or have recently left, were welcomed onto campus for the event, which was designed to help them settle into college life.
Hosted in collaboration with The Care Leaver Covenant, the event was an opportunity for students to get to know the college, take part in activities and make new friends with similar experiences. The College's Pastoral Support Team met with students to let them know what support was on offer and a virtual session on banking was also held by Metro Bank.
Melanie Kay, Assisted Learning Support Manager at the College, commented: "This was a fantastic collaboration between Newcastle College and The Care Leaver Covenant, providing our care experienced students with the best possible start to their joiurney at Newcastle College.
"The event was a great success and ensures that we can provide those learners with robust support to help them succeed with us and in their future. Thank you to everyone involved for their effort."
Care experienced students at Newcastle College benefit from extra support, thanks to a unique partnership between the Care Leaver Covenant and NCG colleges that aims to help them better respond to the specific challenges faced by care leavers, such as having no family support and entering education with no stable housing or income.
Learners are supported by the Pastoral Support Team and a Covenant Progression Coordinator, who helps them into employment and higher education opportunities.