School Liaison

At City of Bristol College, we recognise the value of building good relationships with schools, career advisors and parents when it comes to helping school leavers to decide on their future. As one of the south west’s largest further and higher education colleges, we embrace our students’ talents and ways of learning to help them reach their potential.

On this page, you can find out about what we can offer you, from the wide range of support we offer teachers and staff, to the workshops, taster days and presentations we provide for the students. Our aim is to show young people the endless opportunities in the post-16 world, and inspire school leavers to embark on the right path for them.

If you would like to get in contact please chat with the team at: marketing@cityofbristol.ac.uk

How we can support you at your school

Assembly/Tutor Group Presentations

The School Liaison Team offer a range of different presentations to students in any year at your school. Alongside our introduction to City of Bristol College presentations, we’re able to offer your students specific pathway talks, from A Levels and apprenticeships to technical and vocational courses. Just let us know a date, get a group of students together who are interested in a particular pathway or subject, and we can deliver a more targeted presentation to individual groups.

Attendance at your Parents’ Evenings and Careers Events

As Bristol’s College, we would love the opportunity to attend your Parents’ Evenings and Careers Events to chat to students about their ambitions and goals. At these events, we will bring lots of information so that students and parents leave feeling a lot more confident about what college is like. If your school has a specialist area, or your students are particularly interest in a certain subject, we can bring curriculum staff with us – just let us know.

Lunchtime Drop-in Sessions

We can pop by your school at lunchtimes to host drop-in sessions for your students. These sessions will be an opportunity for students to come by the stall, ask questions and have a chat as they like. We are also happy to arrange these sessions on a regular basis, if you feel the students would benefit from a frequent visit.

Mock Interviews

Mock interviews are an invaluable experience to anyone, but especially school leavers who are preparing for post-16 or working life. We can support your school with mock interviews and step in as interviewers for your students. Our team will gladly go through the interview process, come up with questions or ask pre-set questions, and provide supportive and constructive feedback to your students. We acknowledge the importance of interview experience, and would be happy to offer college or university-like interviews, or employer style.

Application Guidance and Workshops

Completing an application can be challenging, particularly as many students are unaware of their own talents, strengths, skills or achievements. We will offer Application Guidance presentations to demonstrate the applicant journey at CoBC, and what the students can expect when they apply. As well as this, we will begin offering Application Workshops in 22/23 to go through the application form step-by-step and ensure students go home feeling confident about completing their applications to CoBC.

Some students may also need additional support to afford the extra costs of attending college, so we can run workshops for parents and students who may need to complete the City of Bristol College Bursary application form. Just let us know if this is of interest to your students and their parents, and we can arrange a day or evening whereby we attend the school and offer guidance in small group sessions.

How we can support you at College

Small group tours

We offer small-group tours in addition to our Open Events, and will give students the opportunities to familiarise themselves with the College before coming, and to see the facilities for themselves before applying.

To book your tour, email schoolsliaison@cityofbristol.ac.uk

Work Experience and Placements

Work experience and placements are an excellent opportunity to help students to stand out in their CVs and applications. We have professional services departments across our centres, from Finance and IT to Marketing and HR. We would be happy to work with your school and to offer your students a work experience opportunity at the College.

Mentoring

If your school has a mentoring programme, or any of your students would benefit from having a mentor, we would be more than happy to help with this. We have staff who come from an array of backgrounds, from lecturing and academia to professional services. We can provide mentors who can support your students in their personal and/or professional development, act as a supportive ear and simply offer advice or guidance in a particular interest. If this is of interest, just reach out to us and we can find a suitable mentor to help your students.

Hosting your school events

If you’re looking for somewhere to hold one of your events, then we would be delighted to offer you our facilities. Whether it’s a student awards evening, staff training day or school leavers’ ceremony, we have a venue for any occasion. Also, our friendly Marketing team would be more than happy to help you arrange and run the event itself.

When we host your school events, it’s a great opportunity for your students to get used to visiting unfamiliar places in preparation for college or post-16 life.

Important information and resources for schools

Frequently asked questions

What is the process after students apply?

Students will get a confirmation that their application has been received. They will then get a ‘Course Meeting’ where a subject specialist will tell them more about the course, the options, the progression routes and much more. Students will also get to ask questions to help them make a decision on their application.

After the Course Meeting, students will be offered a place. We will keep in touch with them until they enrol. We will send them regular communications to help support their progression to the college. If a student has any special needs, then they might also meet with a member of staff from our support team.

We will also start engaging with parents so that we can start the all-important working relationship with parents.

Is there a closing date for applications?

There is no official closing date for applications; students can apply at any time during the year they are in Year 11. However, our popular courses fill up very quickly and places are allocated on a first come, first served basis, so we always recommend that students get their applications in as soon as they are ready.

If students want to get in touch, our admissions team are here to support them every step of the way.

Can students apply for more than one course?

Yes, applicants can apply for as many courses as they want. When we invite them to their course meeting we will discuss the courses and options in more detail. We understand that some students might not make their final choice until they enrol in the summer.

What happens if a student doesn’t achieve grade 4 in their English and Maths GCSEs?

Students who do not gain English and Maths GCSEs at grade 4 may still be able to join us. These students will simply study the relevant subject alongside their course to achieve the necessary grade.

Where to find us