Information for parents and guardians
As parents of students at Moorlands College, we understand that you want your son/ daughter to feel able to achieve their best. We are committed to providing a supportive and positive environment for all. Studying at College can be a big adjustment, both for students and for you. Sometimes students encounter personal or academic difficulties. The College has a number of support structures to aid students through challenging times, and enable them to fulfil their God-given potential.
The College also works with local and statutory services where necessary and appropriate.
A student may choose to access support via any of our support structures. Staff communicate closely with each other (within the bounds of confidentiality) to provide comprehensive and holistic support and will refer students where appropriate.
Important information about parents contacting the College
UK law (the 1998 Data Protection Act) and College policy prohibit the disclosure of an individual’s information to a third party. This means that staff members at the College are unable to give any information about a current student to a third party. This includes parents, other family members, friends etc. (All universities in the UK follow similar guidelines and are bound by the same legislation).
This means that if you make contact with any member of staff and ask about your son or daughter, they will not be able to divulge any details concerning their academic progress, their wellbeing, their attendance, etc. For this reason, we encourage parents and students to keep in regular contact with each other.
We realise that this can sometimes be frustrating, but hope you appreciate the reasons for this. In general, students are expected to act on their own behalf when dealing with staff, and when requesting support or making complaints.
(In certain exceptional circumstances and with the student’s written consent, we may communicate with a third party, if the College deems it is in the interests of those concerned).
What to do if you have concerns
If you have concerns about your son or daughter, in the first instance you should encourage them to contact their tutor.
If you are concerned because you have not been able to contact your son/ daughter, and you are worried about their wellbeing, you can make contact with the college. We will take the details of your son/ daughter, contact them on your behalf to let them know that you have contacted us, and ask them to make contact with you. The onus will be on the student to contact parents, and staff will not generally get back in touch with parents direct. If you wish to contact the college, please call the Christchurch Campus on 01425 674500 or email reception@moorlands.ac.uk who will direct your enquiry to the appropriate member of staff.
Whilst staff cannot talk to you about your son/ daughter, they are always willing to listen to your concerns and give generic advice and information.
If an emergency takes place on campus appropriate staff will contact the next of kin (without the student’s permission), if it is deemed appropriate. This would normally be on the advice of the emergency service.
The College offers help to students in difficulty, and we strongly encourage students to proactively engage with the support structures available, should help be required. It is important that it is recognised that your sons and daughters are adults studying in an adult environment, and we encourage and expect them to be independent and take responsibility for their own wellbeing. The College takes the pastoral care of students very seriously, but it does not have parental responsibility and can only offer support if approached by the student. In cases where the student is thought to be at risk, appropriate action will be taken by those concerned. Please note that this is rare.
