Welfare and Support

Mental Health

If you are suffering from stress or anxiety, please do not hesitate to speak to your Senior Tutor or the College Matron.

Childline – if you need to talk to someone

Social media

The use of social media will inevitably increase during this time and, while this can be a positive thing, it’s important to be safe and to keep your mental health in check.

Our advice to students:

• Know who you are speaking to online – if something doesn’t feel right, tell someone
• Don’t be afraid of coming forward and speaking to your parents, carer, guardian, teacher or other trusted adult
• If you are being bullied online or someone is speaking to you inappropriately, know the police are there to support you as well. You will not be in trouble.

Our advice to parents:

• Trust your instincts – you know your child better than anyone:
  • Has your child suddenly become very secretive?
  • Are they sad and withdrawn but won’t say why?
  • Do they seem distracted?
  • Do they have sudden mood swings?
  • Are they unable to switch off from their phone or social media?
• Have open conversations with your child about their internet usage
• Use parental controls where appropriate and seek guidance from free resources such as thinkuknow.com

Safeguarding

Nothing is more important to us than the wellbeing of our students and we have a dedicated safeguarding team who work to ensure that students are always safe and happy. You can read our full Safeguarding Policy in the link below:

OxSFC Safeguarding Policy June 2020 – 21

Sexual abuse and harassment

There is concern nationally relating to a culture of misogyny and sexual harassment in many schools. While we strive to ensure that this is not happening at Oxford Sixth Form College, we understand that some students do not feel comfortable enough to come forward. If you have any concerns relating to a student or would like to report abuse, please contact Vice Principal and Designated Safeguarding Lead, Carole Nyssen, by emailing carole.nyssen@oxfordsixthformcollege.com or calling 01865 793333.

Alternatively, you can contact the dedicated Government helpline on 0800 136 663 or by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk.

General support for students

Travel to Oxford

We require all under-18 year old international students to be met at the airport and accompanied to their accommodation to ensure their safety. We will provide an airport transfer unless a suitable alternative is confirmed with the College beforehand. Our drivers will meet the student at Arrivals with identification and the student’s name clearly shown. This service is also available to all students aged 18 and over.

Arrival at the College

On arrival, all students have an Induction and are assisted in registering with the police, registering with a doctor, opening a bank account, taking local public transport and becoming familiar with Oxford. Once courses start, academic supervision enables students to discuss concerns about their work, and is supportive whilst being practical and balanced.

Health and Emergency care

Prior to arrival at the College we will ask you to complete a health questionnaire to provide us with the information we need to ensure you are well looked after. Students will also be asked to complete an Emergency Care consent form. This allows us to provide for you in any situations where emergency medical care may be needed.

The College requires students to register with a local doctor in Oxford, and we have access to an excellent team of local GPs. Similar arrangements should be made to register with a dentist and an optician if necessary.

Medical treatment on the British National Health Service is generally free to international students, but there are fairly complex requirements for a free service, especially for students on short visas. We recommend strongly that you take out medical insurance before leaving home to cover hospital stays or return home in the event of accident or illness. This can normally be covered by extending an existing policy.

Guardianship

Students under the age of 16 must have a guardian. If 16 or over, we still strongly recommend that you have a guardian, so that there is someone in the UK who can act on your parents’ behalf in the event of an emergency.

A guardian may be a relative or a family friend. Some international students may choose to use professional guardianship companies: the College can provide advice on this if necessary.

Dealing with problems

In cases where a difficulty has arisen with a domestic or personal situation, a student’s Senior Tutor is always ready to offer help. The Vice Principal and College Matron are all available to speak to any student seeking help and, for boarding students, house parents and Heads of House are also always ready to provide guidance and support.

Often the first sign that a student needs additional welfare support is missed classes. If a student is not present in any class, we immediately phone them to make sure they are safe and well. If we cannot speak to them, we phone parents/guardians  and keep trying until we speak to someone. Actions are then taken to support the student.

Where the support needed is of a more sensitive and personal nature, a student may prefer to speak to the one of the College’s Safeguarding Team who will be pleased to offer whatever help they can. An appointment may be arranged at any time, and in a situation demanding more immediate support and advice, is given priority. In certain circumstances, we may enlist the help of an independent counsellor; such meetings are entirely confidential.