Colchester Institute has a wide range of support services. These are available to help you with the practicalities of life as a student, as well as planning for your future career.
Whether you are still at school, have been working for a number of years or are returning to your studies after a long break, going to college is exciting. However, it can also be confusing and may mean changes to your lifestyle. Colchester Institute’s Student Support Services are designed to help you make the most of your time here.
If you want to know, for example, whether you are eligible for a grant or a loan, our Student Services staff will help you. Staff are also able to help you with any personal problems, through confidential student support services. Specialists in careers and educational guidance are also available to assist you in your future career plans.
We are here to help you be successful, whatever your age or circumstances.
Contact Student Support Services on 01206 712078
We pride ourselves on the support provided to students with additional needs. We have a dedicated team on hand to support you throughout your time with us. If you have a learning difficulty and / or disability, we encourage you to come and see us as soon as you are thinking of applying for a course.
Learning Support: What we offer
We know that there might be times during your studies where you need someone to talk to, or you may have issues that you need some support with – our Student Welfare team is on hand to help.
There are staff who can support your literacy, numeracy and with study skills. The College Learning Support team can offer advice and information on:
- Learning support practitioners
- Support for dyslexia
- Support for students with autistic spectrum disorders
- Note takers for deaf learners
- Assessments for exam concessions
- Communication support workers
- A specialist hearing impaired tutor
- Specialist equipment
- A hearing loop facility
- Learning support tutors
In addition to the pastoral support services that Student Services provide the Multi-faith Chaplaincy provides a pastoral presence, and helps with projects and classes encouraging spiritual development.
Beks Korniej the chaplain can be contacted at beks.korniej@colchester.ac.uk
Deaf Access Team
Colchester Institute is committed to supporting deaf students so they can access the full curriculum.
We have a team of professionals to ensure students achieve their full potential. The Deaf Access Team can support a range of deaf students to suit individual requirements.
You can arrange a meeting with the Deaf Access Team and tell us what support you require and ask questions. Specialist equipment will be acquired where appropriate.
There are times in everyone’s life when things are difficult. It can sometimes help to talk to someone outside your family and friends who won’t judge you.
The Student Services Student Counselling Service is currently open to students studying at Colchester, Clacton and Braintree sites. If you are studying at any of our other sites please contact 01206 712855. The College also provides a separate counselling service to members of the public, the Colchester Institute Counselling Service, which provides access to counselling in Colchester and Clacton-on- Sea.
Careers Advice
Careers Advice
Good careers advice can make a positive difference to a student’s aspirations and motivation whilst at college. It can be instrumental in increasing their self-confidence and enable them to discover opportunities they never would have considered.
Colchester Institute’s team of careers advisers provide information, advice and guidance to enable students to make informed decisions about their future and help find the best job or career possible for them.
Help and support is available for a wide range of areas including
- Career choice
- Course choice
- Progression Routes
- Apprenticeships
- Choosing and applying for university
- Preparation for employment
One to one impartial guidance interviews are available as well as a daily drop in service. There is a well-equipped careers centre within the College containing information on jobs and courses, careers software is available to help students choose and research suitable careers.
Colchester Institute also hosts an annual Progression Fair, organised for students to find out about the opportunities available for when they have finished their studies. The event attracts over 50 representatives from the world of work, higher education and voluntary organisations.
The College holds the Quality in Careers Standard, a national quality award for the provision of Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance as well as matrix ,the Quality Standard for information, advice and guidance services. These awards ensure that the service provided is of the highest quality.
The careers team have a wealth of experience and hold at least L6 or higher guidance qualifications. They are registered with the Careers Development Institute (CDI) as Career Development Professionals which means they follow a code of ethics and undertake 25 hours of continuous professional development each year.
The College offers a rich and varied CEIAG (careers education, information, advice and guidance) programme which is based upon the Gatsby Foundation’s Good Career Guidance benchmarks Details of which can be found here:
Jo Batch
Operational Careers Leader
Useful Links
CI Business Solutions is the B2B arm of Colchester Institute, providing high quality training solutions. As an organisation, we work with a wide range of businesses and companies from all sectors, whether they are self-employed/individuals, SMEs’ or large organisations, to offer employers training and development opportunities including apprenticeships and industry work placements.
We value your feedback on our Careers Information Advice and Guidance services.
Please contact us using the below form in order provide feedback or ask a question.
Use the Careerometer below to explore and compare your job ideas and help you make your course choice.
Colchester Institute is committed to the rights of learners within all its learning locations and campuses; it is committed to promoting their welfare, protecting their physical and psychological well-being and safeguarding them from all forms of abuse.
The College’s Safeguarding and Child Protection policy aims to ensure that all learners attending the College and any of our other training locations do so in a safe and secure environment.
Colchester Institute expects all staff to share this commitment.
For all scenarios below, students must bring college ID or some other form of photographic ID with them.
If a student is unable to collect their result in person, a family member or friend may collect on their behalf during the detailed collection windows, however the person collecting must bring:
- a note from the student (which Exams will retain) detailing the student’s name and DOB, plus the name of the person collecting on their behalf
- photographic ID (of the person collecting the result on behalf of the student)
GCSE Results Collection from the Colchester Campus (for exams sat in May/June 2018)
GCSE results are available from the Colchester campus on the date, times and from the location listed in the table below.
| Dates for collection | Times to collect between | Room to collect from |
| Thursday 23rd August 2018 | 10.00am to 4.00pm | T219* |
(*T219 is located on the 2nd floor of the English and Maths Centre. Please see the campus map for the location of T Block.)
GCSE Results Collection from the Braintree Campus (for exams sat in May/June 2018)
Students who sat their GCSE’s at the Braintree Campus can collect their results on the date, times and from the location listed in the table below.
| Dates for collection | Times to collect between | Room to collect from |
| Thursday 23rd August 2018 | 10.00am to 4.00pm | Main Hall |
BTEC Level 3 Externally Assessed Unit Results (for paper-based Exams / Set Tasks sat in May/June 2018 – this is not certificates)
Will be available for collection by students on Thursday 16th August.
We won’t know until Wed 15th August which course tutors will be collecting their student result packs to distribute themselves, all of the rest can collect from the Exams office between 10.00-11.30am and 2.30-4pm.
BTEC Level 2 Externally Assessed Unit Results (for paper-based Exams / Set Tasks sat in May/June 2018 – this is not certificates)
Will be available for collection by students on Thursday 23rd August.
We won’t know until Wed 22nd August which course tutors will be collecting their student result packs to distribute themselves, all of the rest can collect as part of the GCSE Results day session.
Certificates in general
The Exams office will email students when certificates are ready for collection using their personal email address recorded in EBS and college email address (if it has not been de-activated), indicating dates and times when they can collect their certificate. Students are asked to monitor the personal email address recorded in EBS / college email address. Exams will be emailing students over the next few weeks.
Certificates will only be posted to students who have moved out of the area. For students that fall within this category, on receipt of the email about collecting certificates, please reply advising full name, student number and the address that certificates should be posted to.
