There are many types of face coverings available but the College strongly recommends the use of a reusable, 3-layered face covering. 

A face covering should:

• cover your nose and mouth while allowing you to breathe comfortably
• fit comfortably but securely against the side of your face
• be secured to the head with ties or ear loops
• be able to be washed with other items of laundry, unless disposable

Guidance on how to make your own face covering is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering

• wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitiser 
• avoid wearing your face covering on your neck or forehead
• avoid touching the part of the face covering in contact with your mouth and nose
• never allow others to touch or use your face covering
• avoid placing your face covering on tables or other shared surface

To take your face covering off safely, you should:

• only handle the straps, ties or clips
• dispose of it carefully in a general waste bin and do not recycle, if single-use
• place in the wash with other laundry, if reusable
• then wash/sanitise your hands

We continue to follow all advice and guidance from the Welsh Government. As controlled elements of some of our campuses re-open, each area is risk assessed to ensure that our staff and students are able to stay safe whilst on campus. Where required, social distancing signage, one ways systems and amended room layouts are being implemented to ensure that learning spaces and workshops fully comply to the latest health and safety requirements.

People will be considered as potential contacts if they have been in close contact with the individual who tested positive up to two days before they first displayed symptoms and for ten days after and:

• is someone who was within 1 metre of a case who they have had a face-to-face-conversation with, had skin-to-skin physical contact with, been coughed on or had other forms of contact within 1 metre for 1 minute or longer. These people will be required to self-isolate for 14 days.
• is someone who has had extended close contact with a case (within 2 metres of the case for more than 15 minutes) or; has travelled in a vehicle with a case or been seated near to one in public/college transport. These people will be required to self-isolate for 14 days.

Important note: wearing a face covering does not affect whether you are a close contact.

You can enrol online!

Once you have applied for a course and received a conditional offer, you will receive a personalised email invite to enrol online. This will contain everything you need to access your online account and to complete your enrolment.

We aren’t enrolling students face-to-face, in order to minimise the number of people on campuses and moving around at any one time. If you are unable to enrol online or need support, please contact our Student Services team on 01656 302302, email hello@bridgend.ac.uk or speak to us via the live chat function on the college website.

Yes! You can apply online today.

Our Student Services team will be in touch within a few days with more information about your next steps.

We will not be interviewing any applicants for the remainder of this application cycle. Our Student Services team is still working remotely, processing applications and issuing conditional course offers based on your predicted grades.

Sure! We are creating new student resource packs which contain useful resources, reading, links and learning activities.

Simply search for your course area and download your resource pack here: www.bridgend.ac.uk/newstudents 

Don’t worry! We will do all that we can to ensure that you enrol onto the course which is right for your own starting point, based on the grades you have been given.

Information about applying for Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) and the Welsh Government Learning Grant (WGLG) can be found at www.studentfinancewales.co.uk

You can download and print an application pack from the Student Finance Wales website or you can collect an application pack from our Bridgend or Pencoed campus, Monday to Friday between 9:00-16:30.

You can view our current college bus routes and find out more about financial support here: www.bridgend.ac.uk/newstudents

If you have any questions, please visit our website live chat or email hello@bridgend.ac.uk

We have a newly refurbished 100 place day nursery at our Cowbridge Road campus. You can find out more and arrange a visit here: www.bridgendcollegedaynursery.co.uk

You may also be eligible for support from our Financial Contingency Fund (FCF).

Your first visit to a college campus will be for our ‘Big Welcome’. This will take place between 20th-29th August and will be an opportunity for you to meet your tutor for the first time, have your photo taken and receive your ID badge. You’ll also log on to the college computer system for the first time and check that you can access everything you need to support your learning.

All students will have one day on campus for their ‘Big Welcome’ (taking place between 20th-29th August).

All students will have at least one day on campus during week 1 and week 2 of induction (w/c 01/09 and w/c 07/09). You will be issued with your main timetable during induction.

Students studying an independent living skills (ILS) programme will return to campus-based learning full time in September.

Yes. Our Catering Services team will initially be offering a reduced ‘grab and go’ service. We will look to increase options and services as any guidance from Welsh Government and Public Health Wales changes.

Yes. If your circumstances have remained unchanged, you will still be eligible to receive a free meal at college. In addition, all students get free breakfast – you don’t need to register or apply, just help yourself!

If you are unsure about whether you are eligible, please contact our Student Services team on 01656 302302, email hello@bridgend.ac.uk or speak to us via the live chat function on the college website.

You can view all of our term dates and closure days for 2020/21 here: https://www1.bridgend.ac.uk/college-news/important-dates/

You can enrol online!

Once you have applied for a course and received a conditional offer, you will receive a personalised email invite to enrol online. This will contain everything you need to access your online account and to complete your enrolment.

We aren’t enrolling students face-to-face, in order to minimise the number of people on campuses and moving around at any one time. If you are unable to enrol online or need support, please contact our Student Services team on 01656 302302, email hello@bridgend.ac.uk or speak to us via the live chat function on the college website.

Your first visit to a college campus will be for our ‘Big Welcome’. This will take place between 20th-29th August and will be an opportunity for you to meet your tutor for the first time, have your photo taken and receive your ID badge. You’ll also log on to the college computer system for the first time and check that you can access everything you need to support your learning.

You can reset your password using the guide further down this page. If you need support, please complete the IT Support webform which can also be found on this page and a member of the team will get back to you.

Although physical face-to face-teaching has been suspended, the College continues to support all of our learners to achieve their desired learning outcomes. As such, we will not be refunding tuition fees for HE courses.

The College is remaining open during this time and has transitioned towards remote methods of delivery, so that as students you can continue to work towards achieving your qualification and help you be all that you can be. 

Your tuition fee covers a wide range of activities and services, including online teaching sessions, tutorials, virtual learning environment and the supporting infrastructure that make all of this possible. 

If you are paying your tuition fees yourself – or if you are using the Maintenance Loan to pay your fees – it is important that you keep up with payment of fees as per the instalment plan set up at enrolment. Failing to keep up with payments may prevent you from progressing to the next stage of your course or from graduating. 

If however, the coronavirus crisis has caused financial hardship and is affecting your ability to keep up with your tuition fee payments please contact the higher education team for advice by email: heenquiries@bridgend.ac.uk 

If you intend to withhold tuition fees due to the temporary suspension of face to face teaching due to coronavirus you should refer to the Students Complaints Procedure which can be found here:- https://www1.bridgend.ac.uk/about-us/

A Level Exams will not take place this term,  and you will receive a calculated grade based on the evidence you have produced.  We continue to provide online activities to ensure you are building your skills and have all the knowledge you need should you have to resit the exam again at any point in the future. 

This process is still under consultation with the regulatory body Ofqual. 

Please follow this link to the consultation document. 

Broadly vocational qualifications will fall into 3 categories:

Calculate

Most qualifications that are used to progress to further study will be calculated in the same way as GCSEs and A Levels

Adapt

Some practical/controlled assessments will be adapted so that they can be achieved remotely 

Delay

Many vocational qualifications provide students with a licence to practice in the workplace.  As such we may need to delay the awarding of a qualification until we can safely have students in workshops/practical spaces/work placements where we can fully assess vocational competency 

Each awarding body will have a different approach and we will need to adhere to their guidance as and when we receive it.  So please keep engaging with your tutors via Google Classroom so we can keep preparing you to be ready when that decision is made.

The following link will take you to the Qualifications in Wales FAQ sheet which will provide more detail:

https://www.qualificationswales.org/english/coronavirus—covid-19/frequently-asked-questions/vocational-qualifications/

You should have had a progression discussion with your Personal Tutor during ‘Next Steps’ week in March; you would have then received a conditional offer from us.

Don’t worry if you didn’t – you can either email your Personal Tutor or email our Student Services team at hello@bridgend.ac.uk

All students will have one day on campus for their ‘Big Welcome’ (taking place between 20th-29th August).

All students will have at least one day on campus during week 1 and week 2 of induction (w/c 01/09 and w/c 07/09). You will be issued with your main timetable during induction.

Students studying an independent living skills (ILS) programme will return to campus-based learning full time in September.

Yes. Our Catering Services team will initially be offering a reduced ‘grab and go’ service. We will look to increase options and services as any guidance from Welsh Government and Public Health Wales changes.

Yes. If your circumstances have remained unchanged, you will still be eligible to receive a free meal at college. In addition, all students get free breakfast – you don’t need to register or apply, just help yourself!

If you are unsure about whether you are eligible, please contact our Student Services team on 01656 302302, email hello@bridgend.ac.uk or speak to us via the live chat function on the college website.

You can view all of our term dates and closure days for 2020/21 here: https://www1.bridgend.ac.uk/college-news/important-dates/

All students travelling on college transport will be issued with a copy of our ‘Travel Behaviour Code and are expected to follow this

Our college contract buses will run from Tuesday 1st September. If you don’t have your bus pass straight away, you will be able to travel for the first few journeys using your student ID.

Currently, you will only be able to travel on a college contract bus if you have a three-layer face covering. Please refer to the latest Welsh Government guidance on face coverings and transport here: https://gov.wales/requirement-wear-face-covering-public-transport-wales

You can view all of our routes and estimated pick-up times here: www.bridgend.ac.uk/newstudents

If you are travelling on a First Cymru public service bus, you will be required to adhere to First Cymru passenger requirements relating to COVID-19, which can be viewed here: https://www.firstgroup.com/south-west-wales/news-and-service-updates/coronavirus-covid19-service-information

I live in Bridgend

If you live more than three miles (walking distance) to your campus of study, you live in Bridgend county borough and you are under 19 years of age when you start your course, you will be eligible for a First Cymru bus pass issued by the college on behalf of Bridgend County Borough Council. You will be required to adhere to First Cymru passenger requirements relating to COVID-19, which can be viewed here: https://www.firstgroup.com/south-west-wales/news-and-service-updates/coronavirus-covid19-service-information

I live outside of Bridgend

If you live outside of Bridgend county borough and need to use our college contract buses, you will need to complete an application for our Financial Contingency fund. We will work through applications as quickly as possible, and we will issue you with a bus pass (this is likely to be via post).

You can apply online here: www.bridgend.ac.uk/newstudents

Yes. There is limited parking available on campus available on a first come, first served basis. We ask everyone to park responsibly and to be respectful of others. Parking any vehicle is the sole responsibility of the driver / owner and the college cannot accept any liability for damage or theft.

You will need to register your vehicle registration at reception or with our Student Services team. Once you have done this, you will be issued with a parking pass.

We have a number of disabled parking bays across our campuses. Staff, students and visitors are welcome to use these when displaying a valid blue badge.

Your wellbeing is incredibly important to us.  Whilst we might be changing the way we work and starting to work more remotely, we wanted to take the opportunity to signpost you to some helpful guides:

This guide explores how to keep mentally well throughout the Coronavirus outbreak  and has been developed by the mental health charity, Mind. Click here to access further information Coronavirus and your wellbeing 

In addition to your mental health, it is really important to maintain good physical health.  These videos, which have been developed by NHS Wales can be accessed from home. Click here to access  Fitness Videos which will support you to maintain your physical fitness during periods of self isolation.

Additionally we would like to remind staff of our confidential  24/7 counselling service, which is delivered by Carefirst. Please access by clicking on this link Care first Access

As well as all of the above, if you have any queries or concerns about your health in the context of the workplace please contact your line manager or a member of the HR Team (ext 350)