Thursday 7 July 2011

College Open Day

We received a phone call on Monday asking if we could take Jonathan to the open day Wednesday for the bricklaying course, so before half ten yesterday, we were ready and waiting for the session to start.

We met the team of tutors, a couple of the extra support team and went through an overview of the requirements.  Puntuality is a key requirement, and is strictly enforced.  Breaks are exactly the same as if they were in work, fifteen minutes morning and afternoon, with forty five minutes for lunch.

Thirty percent of the course is done in the classroom, over seven units.  There is a test at the end of each unit, and then an online exam at the end of the year.  City and Guilds is the examining board.

The workshop area is divided into numbered sections, one allocated to each pair working together.  There will be a number of tasks.  You build them, get your mark, take them down, and begin the next one.

We will need to get Jonathan sorted with steel toe capped boots, working jeans, pen, pencil, ruler, calculator, tape measure and safety goggles.

While there, Jonathan did an assessment for maths and english.  He came out level 2 for English (brilliant), and level 1 for maths, (not quite so brilliant.)  At the same time as the bricklaying course, he will be doing his maths and english GCSE, and they will provide him with extra support for the maths.  No doubt, with the extra help, his maths will soon be at the same level as his english.

We now have to wait for his official letter with the offer for the place, and then there will be an induction day on the 8th September.  The course will then start the following week.

It's going to be a very busy year for him, but I am sure he will enjoy it, and it will be well worth it come this time next year.