Provider Access Policy | Totton College

High quality careers education and guidance in college or college is critical to our students’ futures. It helps to prepare them for the workplace by providing a clear understanding of the world of work including the routes to jobs and careers that they might find engaging and rewarding.

Supporting students to acquire the self-development and career management skills they need to achieve positive employment destinations.

We want students to be who they want to be, and work with them to help improve their life opportunities and give them the skills they need to contribute towards and productive and successful economy.

Our Access Provider Commitment

As part of Nacro Education, Totton College is committed to ensuring there is an opportunity for a range of education and training providers to access students, for the purpose of informing them about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

We want students to have a full understanding of all the options available to them post-16 and post-18 including wider technical education options such as T-Levels and Higher Technical Qualifications.

We take responsibility for setting students on the path that will secure the best outcome which will enable them to progress in education and work and give employers the highly skilled people they need. That means acting impartially, in line with the statutory duty, and not showing bias towards any route, be that academic or technical.

Totton College endeavours to ensure that all students are aware of all routes to higher skills and are able to access information on technical options and apprenticeships (The Department of Education, July 2021: “Baker Clause”: supporting students to understand the full range of education and training options, and the Provider Access Legislation, January 2023).

Aims of Totton College’s Provider Access Policy

As part of Nacro Education, our policy for Access to other education and training providers has the following aims:

To develop the knowledge and awareness of our students of all career pathways available to them, including technical qualifications and apprenticeships.
To support young people to be able to learn more about opportunities for education and training outside of college before making crucial choices about their future options.
To reduce drop out from courses and avoid the risk of students becoming NEET (Young people not in education, employment or training).

Student Entitlement

We fully support the statutory requirement for students to have direct access to other providers of further education training, technical training and apprenticeships. Totton College (as part of Nacro Education) will comply with the new legal requirement to put on at least six encounters with providers of approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships. This will be done in assemblies in National Apprenticeship Week and National Careers Week. And through the following actions:

Development: This policy has been developed and is reviewed annually by the Careers Leader and Line Manager, (Jon Kingsbury & Jade Roots) based on current good practice guidelines by the Department for Education.
Links with other policies: It supports and is underpinned by key college policies including those for Careers, Child Protection, Equality and Diversity, and SEND.
Equality and Diversity: Access to other providers is available and promoted to allow all students to access information about other providers of further education and apprenticeships. Totton College (as part of Nacro Education) is committed to encouraging all students to make decisions about their future based on impartial information.
Live/Virtual encounters: We will consider live online encounters with providers where requested, and these may be broadcast into classrooms or the college assembly hall. Technology checks in advance will be required to ensure compatibility of systems.
Management: The Careers Leader coordinates all provider requests and is responsible to his/her senior management line manager.
Parents and Carers: Parental involvement is encouraged, and parents may be invited to attend the events to meet the providers.

Granting requests for access

Access will be given for providers to attend during college assemblies, timetabled Careers or Life lessons, and Careers or Raising Aspirations events that Totton College (as part of Nacro Education) are arranging. Students may also travel to visit another provider as part of the trip to be organised in partnership with the respective provider.

Details of premises or facilities to be provided to a person who is given access

We will provide an appropriate room or assembly hall to be agreed. All rooms have computers, projectors and screens provided. Computer rooms can also be arranged. The Careers Leader or Careers Adviser will organise this, working closely with the provider to ensure the facilities are appropriate to the audience. Appropriate safeguarding checks will be carried out. Providers will be met and supervised by a member of the Careers Team who will facilitate.

Previous providers

In accordance with the policy, Providers who have been invited into Totton College to date include:
• SETA
• PETA
• REMIT
• PARAGON
• KIWI EDUCATION
• ENHAM
• WINDWARD
• MENCAP
• MINSTEAD

Requesting access

Requests for access should be directed to Jon Kingsbury, Careers Leader.

Email: jonathan.kingsbury@totton.ac.uk
Call: 023 8087 4874

Or you can contact us here

Monitoring, evaluation and complaints

This Policy is monitored and evaluated annually via the Careers Leader and SLT.
Any complaints about this policy should be raised to Jon Kingsbury who may be contacted by telephone or email, jonathan.kingsbury@totton.ac.uk, Tel 023 8087 4874

Jon Kingsbury will raise the complaint to Jade Roots