Dear Parents, Guardians and Carers,

I hope that the young person in your care has settled well into their second year and is enjoying all of the opportunities that Varndean College has to offer.

As I am sure you are aware, a significant part of College provision is not only focused upon the development of learning but also of personal values and preparation for life outside of College. The Pastoral Curriculum provides a combination of support, skills development, progression mapping and engagement alongside personal safety topics. Personal Tutors support students from a holistic perspective and offer regular 1:1s to help learners set targets and work towards meeting their potential. This year, there are some changes to the way that Tutorial is delivered at Varndean College.

The structure of Tutorial session at Varndean College is that students are now expected to attend in - person lessons in a group Tutorial setting fortnightly. In these registered sessions, students focus on a set topic and then time is provided for 1:1 meetings with their Personal Tutor. The Pastoral Curriculum is made up of topics which may have been initially introduced through PSHE sessions in School and within their first year of Tutorial.

The fortnightly group Tutorial session alternates with an independent Personal Development one. The Personal Development time is allotted to help support students in completing independent tasks and directing them to essential activities involving progression, target setting etc. Students' timetables will show whether it is a Tutor session or a Personal Development on a weekly basis and they can view this viaMy Varndean. Personal Development tasks are set on Google Classroom and students can speak to their Personal Tutor if they need any help with these. These tasks are particularly important for our second year students as there is further emphasis on progression planning in their second year and a greater need for students to complete independent tasks related to this in addition to attending their timetabled sessions.

The young person in your care is directly supported by their Personal Tutor and if you should have any questions or concerns about this letter or College life, more generally, then they are your first point of contact. You will be able to find the details of the assigned Personal Tutor via Parent Portal and access an email address for them on this platform.

Yours sincerely

George Marshall

Director of Student Engagement