I would like to wish all parents and carers a happy New Year and a warm welcome back to the College! The start of a new year is the perfect time to reflect on your journey as a parent or carer supporting your young person in college, while also considering how you can assist them as they face new academic challenges. We are into the second term now, and the rest of the academic year really will fly by! 

While your young person may seem increasingly independent and in control of their own learning, providing a supportive environment for their continued learning and development still makes a big difference. 

As Group Director for Curriculum and Pedagogy, I spend a lot of time working with heads of schools to determine how best to support our students and what is most crucial to their learning. Here, I have outlined a few key priorities where your support is especially important: 

1. Encourage good attendance 

Attendance leads to success – so it really is one of, if not the most important factor, in determining how well your young person does on their course. To support this, encourage your young person to maintain good attendance and punctuality. It is important to come to lessons and work together with peers and the teacher to understand each topic. When a student misses lessons, they miss out on important learning opportunities, putting them at risk of falling behind and not gaining the knowledge they need to succeed. 

Here at MK College, teachers take attendance in class. If your young person is missing lessons, you should receive a text both first thing in the morning and afternoon. If you are not receiving any texts, this may be because we do not have the correct phone number, please contact us if you need to update your details. There is also a parent portal where you can access timetables, attendance records and information on deadline adherence. 

If you are worried about your young person’s absences or have any uncertainty over attendance, we encourage you to reach out to us. A good first step is to contact the head of school for the subject, who can provide insight and help address any concerns. We are here to work with you to ensure your young person stays on track. 

2. Support with work experience  

At MK College, work experience is one of our key focus areas. Our teaching approach emphasises hands-on learning to provide students with practical experience in their field during their studies. As a required component of nearly every student’s study programme, work experience is mandatory. For T Level students, this is fulfilled through an industry placement. 

Work experience helps students transition more smoothly from studying to working. It can also facilitate progression to other courses or into the workplace, with many of our past students receiving their first “proper” job offer from their work experience employer. 

You can support your young person by discussing their work experience plans, showing both interest and encouragement. If they are uncertain about their plans, you can encourage them to be proactive and look for work experience opportunities. Don’t be afraid to encourage your young person to reach out to the College if they are struggling with this, as our work experience team is here to assist with finding a suitable company or organisation, as well as providing support with interview techniques and applications. 

3. Understand the importance of maths and English 

Maths and English are key subjects in improving access to opportunities and opening doors to higher-paying jobs. It is important to understand the significance of these skills and qualifications. GCSEs in maths and English are highly sought after by employers, and passing these subjects is increasingly important for demonstrating essential skills. They are also required for progression at the College: a student may not be able to move on to a higher level of study if they don’t pass maths and English. 

At MK College, we are proud to have been invited to be part of a DfE research project on effective practice in delivering post-16 English and maths up to Level 2. Our high results indicate that we have effective practice in comparison to other FE colleges. 

You can support your young person by encouraging them to attend lessons, revise at home, and take advantage of additional revision sessions offered by the College. If you are worried, encourage them to reach out to us for extra support. We are here to support their progress, and this includes helping them with maths and English. 

4. Reach out for help and support if you need it 

We are here to support all of our learners. If your young person needs help with their studies, please encourage them to be proactive and reach out to us when needed. Students can get in touch with teaching and support staff in person across our two campuses or online via Teams. 

Communication is key, so if you need our help, please pick up the phone and talk to us. We really appreciate it when parents are willing to work with us to support students’ success in their courses. We are here to have conversations and support in any way we can. 

Thank you for taking the time to read through our suggestions for how you can support your young person. We wish you and your family a happy 2026 and look forward to celebrating our learners’ successes at the end of the year! 

For more support for parents and carers, visit Parents & Carers – MK College