Get Involved

Find out more about our Gifted and Talented Excellence Program

Oxbridge

We encourage students to aim high and those who aspire to Oxford or Cambridge are given help and support by Oxbridge tutors and senior College staff. Specific visits to Oxbridge, including an overnight stay, have been arranged for students intending to apply, where advice on the application process has been given by University Admissions Tutors.

Every full-time student is allocated a Personal Tutor or Course Co-ordinator who has responsibility for ensuring that his/her group of students achieve the maximum benefit from their course of studies at NPTC Group of Colleges.

During planned tutorial sessions, tutors and students discuss progress, set targets and create action plans for improvement. This process includes producing an Individual Learning Plan. Individual Learning Plans cover career and higher education issues together with various aspects of personal and social education.

Tutors are supported by Student Services, Careers Wales and the College Counsellors.

The College recognises and rewards students for their achievements and endeavour by providing a range of financial awards bursaries and scholarships. Students that accept awards play an important role in promoting the College this includes:

• Talking to prospective students at interview sessions, taster days and visiting local schools
• Representing their areas of study at open evenings
• Promoting the Student Zone and the student support services
• Mentoring fellow students

There is also a role for Student Ambassadors to promote the College to our local communities outside organisations.

Bursaries are awarded across four areas to students that show cultural, academic, sporting, and vocational excellence.

VOCATIONAL EXCELLENCE BURSARIES

There are six awards for students that study vocational level three two year programmes. Students are nominated by Heads of School for their achievement, endeavour, attendance and contribution to College life. Successful students are identified at the end of their first year and will receive a bursary of £1,500 paid in three instalments.

SPORTS AND CULTURAL SCHOLARSHIPS

Sports and cultural scholarships are awarded to students that have exceptional abilities so that they can develop their talents to their full potential. There is a formal application process that is open to all students.  Fourteen scholarships of £300 are available and the awards are released subject to a successful report from the students Head of School.

There are also six Elite Sporting Bursaries for top-performing athletes. To be eligible to apply for the award students will need to be performing at a regional or international level. Each award of £1,500 and will be paid in instalments over three terms.

TRUST AWARDS

The College is supported by three charitable trusts that make awards recognising academic achievement and students that have overcome adversity to progress their learning.

HAULFRYN PRIZE

This trust was set up in memory of Haulfryn Thomas and her husband Dr. D A Thomas, who following a suggestion from the National Union of Miners set up a progressive GP practice in the Dulais Valley. This practice was known as the Haulfryn Clinic. To be eligible for this £500 prize students have to:

• Live in the Dulais and Neath Valleys – Crynant, Glynneath, Banwen, Seven Sisters, Pant -y Ffordd,
• Dyffryn Cellwen and Onllwyn
• Progress to Higher Education

WILLIAM LEWIS JONES MATHEMATICS PRIZE

This prize is from a trust established to commemorate Willian Lewis Jones who was Head of Maths at the former Neath Grammar School. The award of £500 is presented to the best performing maths student who goes on to Higher Education through the student does not have to be studying maths at this level.

SARASWATI TRUST PRIZE

This trust is named after the Hindu Goddess of Knowledge and was set up in 2007 following a donation by an anonymous benefactor. The prize recognises and rewards students that have shown exceptional commitment to study and progress or who have overcome adversity. This is not a cash prize but can provide support to cover the cost of course materials, the cost of travel and accommodation to attend summer schools, taster courses, work placements in the UK and abroad and specialist equipment. The criteria for eligibility are:

• First-year students intending to progress to a second-year course or intend to progress from a discrete one-year course to an advanced course within the College
• Students in receipt of EMA
• Students who have shown commitment and progress or who have overcome personal difficulties to continue their learning.

Students wishing to apply for a Bursary Award can find application information on their Moodle account in the ‘Student Voice’ section or can contact studentsupport@nptcgroup.ac.uk

There are 28 Student Ambassador Scholarships available for new first-year students. This is an exciting opportunity for students to develop leadership and communication skills. Ambassadors are the student face of the College sharing their student experience by working with local schools, communities, and organisations. To make sure that there is representation across all subject areas two Ambassadors are appointed per academic school and all campuses are represented. Students interested in becoming an ambassador will be able to submit an application form in October and if the application is successful will be invited to attend a short interview in November.  The application form and details of how to apply are available from Student Services.

The Student Ambassadors that are selected will carry out their role from December in their first year to March in their second year. Ambassadors are accountable to their Head of School and will enter into a contract regarding satisfactory academic progress, contribution to College life, commitment, attendance and continuing on programme.  Ambassadors will receive £200 will be paid in two installments of £100, subject to a positive progress report from the Head of School.

Ambassadors will work alongside their Heads of School, Campus Managers, marketing and admissions team to promote the College in the following ways:

• Promoting their subject area internally and externally
• Supporting the delivery of promotional presentations
• Being available on open days/evenings, prize giving, taster days, school visits Ambassadors are accountable to their Head of School and will enter into a contract regarding satisfactory academic progress, contribution to College life, commitment, attendance and continuing on programme and talks
• Working with the bursary, scholarship, trust winners and More Able and Talented (MAT) students
• Working with the Student Representatives and Student Union
• Welcoming guests and employers to the College
• Taking part in consultation and student involvement activities
• Mentoring and supporting new first-year Ambassadors

Student Reps are selected to make sure the views and opinions of the students on their course are heard. Their role is to improve the education we deliver to students, by sharing the issues faced by the students on their course. Reps are selected in September and receive training to support them in their role. The Reps take part in course meetings, termly Senedd meetings, and some are invited to represent students in key meetings across the College.

Being a Student Representative is a great way to develop skills and enhance your CV. If you are interested in getting involved, speak to your tutor.

The college has a Student Union, which is a group of elected students who represent the student body, and campaign on the issues that matter to them.

Find out more here

We believe all students should have the opportunity to include enrichment activities within their programme of study to learn new skills, broaden experience and meet new people. You may wish to start up a club that is not listed here. Get in touch and we will help you get it off the ground!

Contact: student-union@nptcgroup.ac.uk

The Moodle software is known as the VLE (Virtual Learning Environment).

It is accessed via the Student Portal on the College Website for teaching, learning and communicating. NPTC Group of Colleges Moodle is used to support classroom and workshop sessions.

What does it offer Students?

• Access to online learning resources
• Access to teacher resources
• Access to revision materials
• Access to shared resources
• Access to lessons, coursework and homework resources
• Access to personal workbook and progress records always available as it is accessed via the Internet.

How do students access it?

Every student is allocated a personal NPTC Group of Colleges Moodle username and password. This enables every student to login to this resource.

Login to Moodle

Personal development enrichment allows you to enhance your skills in an academic subject, or develop new skills in an area that interests you and includes the following:

• Duke of Edinburgh Award
• Combined Cadet Force (CCF)
• LGBTQ Society
• Enterprise and Employability
• STEM ambassadors
• Student ambassadors
• Gifted and Talented Excellence Programme (GATE)
• Student Union

The Combined Cadet Force (CCF) offers young people a broad range of challenging, exciting, adventurous and educational activities. The aim is to develop skills in personal responsibility, leadership, and self-discipline. The CCF is an educational partnership between the College and the Ministry of Defence, and a CCF may include Royal Navy, Royal Marines, and Army or Royal Air Force sections.

Students from across the College are encouraged e to volunteer to join the CCF regardless of which course they are studying. They will attend CCF sessions on a Wednesday afternoon at Llandarcy Academy of Sport, as well as weekend camps and a summer camp for at least one week during the academic year. There is little or no cost to students.

Students will follow the CCF syllabus which includes topics such as map reading, military core skills such as weapon handling and shooting, foot drill (marching) and personal presentation skills, community engagement (Remembrance Sunday) and outdoor activities such as orienteering, kayaking, mountain biking and much more.

In addition to their course of study, the CCF aims to create well-rounded young people who are motivated and ready for the world of work and the requirements of all types of employers.

Find out more here