At Solihull Sixth Form College we are proud of our excellent pastoral care and personalised approach. You will be assigned to an Academic Coach who will support your journey through college and act as a point of contact for both you and your parents/carers. Academic Coaches are able to help with a whole range of challenges such as settling in, study skills, mental health concerns, target setting, additional learning support referrals, references for university or employment, next steps advice and UCAS and personal statement support. You will see your Academic Coach once every week for your one hour Personal Development lesson. These lessons are planned and designed to equip students with the essential skills for both academic success and future opportunities.
Should it be needed, the Academic Coach can assist students in accessing more specialist resources. The College has an excellent pastoral support services, which includes financial advice, student welfare support, counselling, and health advice. Expert careers advice is also offered and additional learning support is available if a particular need is identified. These services exist so that every student can maximise their potential.
The Academic Coach will also help learners in their progression to the next stage of their development, be it higher education or employment. They can also provide references where needed.
Academic Coaches are the first point of contact for students and parents. They are available during term time, Monday to Thursday, from 8.30am – 4.00pm, and Fridays, from 8.30am – 3.30pm. The telephone number to reach them on is 0121 704 2581. A full list of Progress Managers and Academic Coaches is as follows:
Kerry Richardson (Progress Manager)
Karen Sherwood (Progress Manager)
Jo Tully (Progress Manager)
Chris Brothers
Jack Brown
Tracey Hayden
Ifraa Hussain
Suhana Miah
Caroline Noble
Emilie Roche
Sue Stowe
Melissa Taylor
Gail Williams
If you are unable to speak to an academic coach when you phone it is probably due to them delivering a Personal Development session or conducting a one-to-one appointment with a student. Please leave a message and they will call you back as soon as they can. You can also contact Academic Coaches by email – all email addresses are firstname.surname @solihullsfc.ac.uk.