What is a support plan?

Support plans are designed to be supportive and to help students develop and improve. Usually they are discussed and agreed together but occasionally, if students are not attending lessons, the plans need to be drawn up in a student’s absence. 

At the start of a support plan, students agree targets and teachers ensure that they are aware of the support on offer to help them improve. A review date is set when they will look at progress made and agree the next steps. Students and teachers/tutors have the opportunity to update targets online, as they are achieved. 

In the vast majority of cases, students respond well to support planning and complete the appropriate targets on time. At green or amber level, students simply need to make some changes to what they are doing in order to ensure success. 

In those cases where a student does not respond to a support plan, they will move through a system of green, amber, red and final contract stages, with a review at each stage. This happens over a number of weeks and gives the student plenty of time to discuss progress, meet expectations, reflect, develop and improve; and get on track with their studies. 

What is a red support plan?
A red support plan means that if the targets in this support plan are not met then the student risks being withdrawn from the relevant subject. If the plan relates to more than one subject or a cross-college issue, and improvements are not made, the student could be asked to leave college. If you have not already had contact with the student’s Guidance Manager, then you will need to contact them as a matter of urgency.

What is a final contract*?
In those cases where a student does not respond to support planning, they move through a series of stages, over a number of weeks, with a review at each stage. If the targets on a red support plan are not achieved, then withdrawal from the subject or college is likely. *A Guidance Manager will only offer a final contract in exceptional circumstances, in consultation with the Head of Department, Head of Faculty and subject teachers.  Any further failure to meet targets and expectations will result in withdrawal.