Quote from "Proud Parent"

"Just thought I would let you know that what you do makes a difference . . . . my son came to you last year via Aimhigher and has just been given a conditional offer (3 A's) to study medicine at Durham. He's absolutely overjoyed! Thank You."

Will my child be safe?

Your child’s safety is of paramount importance at the Summer School. Whilst we understand that young adults prefer to come and go as they please we can’t allow such a level of freedom at a Summer School because participants are under 18 years old. During the week participants will have free time on campus but their whereabouts will always be known or they will be accompanied by a Student Ambassador.  The Summer School carries out risk assessments for all activities, and your child’s safety is our priority. All adults, including the Student Ambassadors involved in looking after summer school participants have been CRB checked (approved by the Criminal Records Bureau) in accordance with the law.  At least three members of UWE staff from the Summer School Team will be staying overnight as well as a Student Ambassador in each flat (of the same gender). If you wish to know more you can contact the Summer School Team directly.

What is my involvement as a parent/carer?

Your role is as much as you would like to make it.  Supporting your child’s application is a good place to start.  Keeping them enthused between the time they are offered a place and the start of the Summer School would also be a great help both to them and to us. Each student has to sign a Code of Behaviour prior to the Summer School so you will need to make sure that your child understands this.  If for any reason your child needs to withdraw from the Summer School, please also encourage them to let us know as soon as possible so that their place can be allocated to another student. Throughout the run up to the Summer School you will receive various pieces of information and will have forms to sign.  We would really appreciate your co-operation in getting the forms back to us on time so that the whole process can run as smoothly as possible. We really encourage parents and carers to take an interest in the Summer School therefore you will be invited to attend a pre-Summer School meeting and a Celebration Event both of which are informal, fun occasions and well worth attending.

Will my child be going to the Summer School with their School friends?

First of all this will depend entirely on who has applied to the Summer School.  There is a limit of a maximum of six students from any one school or college attending.  By doing this we aim to encourage participants to really mix with students from other schools and colleges as they would do at university.

Who actually are the Student Ambassadors?

Student Ambassadors are current higher education students attending the University of the West of England.  They are all trained to work both on Summer Schools and other work with school students and all have clear enhanced CRB checks. Ambassadors are a huge part of the Summer School both in academic terms and the social side.  They have always been very popular with the students and are always on hand to help.  Last year 98% of participants found it useful meeting the ambassadors.  You can see individual profiles of the team of Student Ambassadors from 2008 here.

What if I need to get in touch with my child during the Summer School?

Contact details for key members of staff on the Summer School will be made available to you.  If there is anything you want to discuss about your child that is of a confidential nature, please feel free to contact the Summer School Team directly.

We have found that many of the Summer School participants bring along their mobile phones (note: students are responsible for their own property and the university cannot accept liability for the loss or damage of mobile phones), they are free to use these in their free time although we suggest that contact is made only when completely necessary so that participants can focus on events.

What happens if my child falls ill on the Summer School?

If a Summer School participant is feeling unwell then first-aid trained staff will make an initial check and refer the student to a doctor or hospital if required. Parents/carers will be informed at the earliest time possible of the situation if it proves to be something serious and a record of accidents and illnesses will be kept. If a student is too ill to continue participating in the Summer School, then either parents/carers will be asked to collect them or we will arrange with you another suitable way of transporting them home.

It is important to provide the Summer School with as many appropriate contact numbers as possible prior to the event.

How will my child get to the Summer School?

Transport arrangements will be made depending on where your child lives and how many students will be coming from the same area.  Transport to and from the Summer School is normally arranged by coach.  Again this is free of charge.

What if my child wants to leave the summer school for a while for any reason?

Normally we would expect all students to remain for the full length of the Summer School unless there are exceptional circumstances. These wouldn’t include social events but may include things like a family illness, taking an exam etc. The most important thing is that, if you know in advance that your child will need to be away from any part of the Summer School, you discuss this with the Summer School Team at the earliest opportunity.  Please ask for an Authorised Leave of Absence form from the Summer School Team if this is the case.

What information about my child will be shared with other organisations?

By signing your child’s application you agreed that Aimhigher Southwest will be able to share the information given for the Summer School, with Aimhigher funders, and with your child’s school. No other personal information will be passed to outside agencies. Once the Summer School starts the organisers are required by the funders to keep attendance registers. This information is shared with Aimhigher Southwest.

In addition, if you ticked the box in your section of your child’s application form that told us you do not want photographs of your child used for future Summer School publicity, this wish will of course be respected.

How can I contact the Summer School?

There are various ways to contact the Summer School Team:

By phone: 0117 32 82162

By e-mail: outreach@uwe.ac.uk

In writing:

UWE Summer School Team
University of the West of England
Outreach Centre, Room 2C22
Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QY