Ellie, my youngest has now been mostly finished college for a couple of weeks apart from going in to finish a couple of things off. It has been quite the year for her, especially after things which happened last summer which I am not going to talk about. She hasn't finished college for good, she is just on her summer break and will be returning in September which reminds me I have have forms to fill in.
When September came around I had been on the phone to the safeguarding staff at college least once a week for the whole of the summer. Ellie hadn't done anything wrong, I was in discussions about how to keep her safe. They were absolutely amazing!!! They went above and beyond to keep her safe in college and by Christmas she was on first name terms with the security guards, reception staff and wellbeing support!
For the first 3 months or so of Ellie being at college I was taking and picking her up. They could keep her safe in college but the in-between bit was a bit trickier as the bus stop is a little walk away from college. Getting the bus was a nightmare, I hated it! It took me about an hour and a half hour each way. Getting to college on a morning is simple, it's one bus but then I have to come home which involves a 15 minute walk, a bus, then another bus and another 15 minute walk. I had the same journey to do on an afternoon to pick her up, 2 buses there but thankfully it's just one bus home again. Thank goodness for the direct college bus first thing on a morning and last thing on an afternoon. I kept my distance, she sat with her friends and I sat on any empty seat! I hated it! College kids are so loud. lol
She settled in well to the college year and there was an extra girl in her class so there were 3 girls and about 18 boys. Engineering is such a male dominated subject so it was nice to hear that more girls are getting into it.
In January there was a little blip, Ellie skipped a few lessons but because I was in touch with the college so much I found out before it became a problem and may have marched Ellie into college to apologise to a teacher for missing classes. I gave them permission to ring me whenever she skipped lesson again and she never did! I did get one phone call though. Ellie had an assessment and thought it was easier to go to the classroom where it was than to check into the engineering department first. Her tutor thought she was missing, rang me but Ellie was just where she was supposed to be without bothering with the middle bit. Oops.
This year Ellie was doing the Level 2 electrical engineering course and for the first half of the year they were just going over what she had learned in the previous year. She didn't find it much harder than Level 1, there was just more detail in it. She has worked hard, learned lots and has passed everything that she needed to complete the course!
Ellie still refuses to go to the canteen at lunchtime, I can imagine how busy it gets so if she doesn't get to go at morning break she will wait until the afternoon. She has took advantage of the free breakfasts when the bus has got there early and keeps telling me about the amazing hash browns!
Ellie did take advantage of the wellbeing services that they offer at college. Counselling services, somewhere to go just to take a break from the hustle and bustle of college life and again all the staff were amazing. Her engineering wellbeing person has been having fortnightly meetings with her just to check in and make sure everything is going as it should. I really can't thank the support staff enough.
The only gripe both Ellie and I have had with college is they email her when we have both told them to email me. Ellie is still under 18 so it is allowed and supposed to happen but they insist on sending important emails to Ellie's inbox and of course she doesn't check her emails. Things about finance, bus passes and when exams are.
Now Ellie has the whole of summer to enjoy, her last proper one. This time next year she will be off into the real world. Eek!
How has your kids year at school or college gone?
No comments :
Post a Comment