Dear Parents and Guardians,

I am delighted to write to you as we begin a new academic year and importantly, the first full academic year as North Devon College.

This marks an exciting new chapter for our students, staff and the communities we serve, and we are delighted to welcome both new and continuing learners to College.

I hope that your young person enjoyed their Welcome Day at North Devon College and are feeling settled and excited for the start of their new course.

As we continue this new chapter, we remain focused on providing our students with an excellent experience and ensuring they have every opportunity to develop their skills, confidence and aspirations. It was wonderful to celebrate with so many of our leaners on results day in August. We are proud of the achievements of our students and look forward to building on these successes as North Devon College. 

We are also continuing to invest in our facilities and sites to create an environment where students can learn, connect and feel a strong sense of belonging. Over the summer we have been busy investing in our campus. We have a new performing arts space, a new spa, a refurbished A level study hub, new sports and gym facilities, new covered social areas for students and new IT rooms for our creative and digital learners. These developments are an important part of creating a welcoming, modern college environment and ensuring that our facilities support the experience we want for every student. These improvements are just the start of our longer term investment plan to ensure that North Devon College has outstanding facilities. 

We want every student to feel supported, valued and able to make the most of their time at college. Their personal tutor is an important part of this, providing a familiar point of contact throughout their time with us and helping them to settle in and access the support they need. Through regular tutorials, we support learners to develop their confidence, skills and aspirations, explore their next steps and engage with important topics that will help prepare them for life beyond college. 

Over their first few weeks, we work extremely hard to create opportunities for students to make friends, get to know their tutor and generally settle into college life. One of the big differences in stepping up to college is the ownership and responsibility that young people take for their learning as we prepare them for the world of work or further study. You can learn more about our expectations and how we support students to engage by clicking on the link below, where further information is provided.

We hope your young person thrives during their time as a student at North Devon College. Their personal tutor is there to support them throughout their time with us and is the first point of contact for both students and parents if you have any questions or concerns.

Key dates