Student Life

Hedgehog Friendly Campus is an initiative funded by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society. It aims to turn university campuses into habitats where hedgehogs can safely live and thrive. It’s a chance for our community to come together to make real changes for the local wildlife.

We’re delighted to have received Silver Accreditation for Hedgehog Friendly Campus, and we're currently on a mission to become a Silver Accredited Hedgehog Friendly Campus. Follow us on social media and read our latest blogs below to keep up-to-date with what’s been going on and every step we’re taking to make our campus a haven for hedgehogs.

Hedgeblogs

• West Suffolk College win Silver Hedgehog Friendly Campus award
• We're a Bronze Accredited Hedgehog Friendly Campus
• What we’ve been doing in our mission to become a Bronze accredited Hedgehog Friendly Campus
• How to build your own bug hotel to help wildlife in your garden
• Hedgehog hotels built by our carpentry and joinery students placed across campus to attract hedgehogs

About the campaign

The Hedgehog Friendly Campus initiative aims to highlight the issues faced by UK hedgehogs, and to encourage university staff and students to help them combat these on campuses. The UK hedgehog population declined by up to 50% since the year 2000, with less than a million of them left. As of July 2020, hedgehogs have officially been listed as Vulnerable to Extinction on Britain’s IUCN Red List. This is due to a range of factors, mostly related to human activities and urbanization. They include environmental poisons, road traffic, litter, drowning, and lack of food, water and connected habitat. Seeing as university campuses often cover large areas of land, it’s a great opportunity to turn them into suitable hedgehog habitats.

How does it work?

The Hedgehog Friendly Campus team is open to all staff and students, regardless of department, age, level of knowledge or ability, and is led by our Animal Studies team. The goal is to complete actions from the dedicated best-practice toolkit. Examples include community events such as litter picks, fundraising, hedgehog surveys, and installing hedgehog houses on campus. Completed actions count towards official accreditation: Bronze, Silver (West Suffolk College), and Gold.

Get involved

To get involved as a member of staff, please speak with the Head of Animal Studies Sarah Eaton. Alternatively, if you’re a student of any course, and would like to get involved, please speak with your learning support tutor in the first instance.

Other ways you can help

You can also get involved in other ways such as volunteering your time for a local hedgehog rescue such as Suffolk Prickles Hedgehog Rescue, who help nurse and rehabilitate back to the wild sick, injured and orphaned hedgehogs, and on a daily basis volunteers spend time cleaning and medicating hedgehogs. Or it could be that you’ve got lots of newspaper you’d like to donate which helps rescues.

• Suffolk Wildlife Trust - Hedgehogs
• Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s page on if you’ve found a sick, injured or poorly hedgehog
• How to become a volunteer with Suffolk Prickles Hedgehog Rescue

Fun activities to do

• How to make a hedgehog cake (Vegan recipe 1 | Vegan recipe 2)

Follow us on social media

• Facebook - Main College | Animal Studies
• Instagram
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• TikTok

West Suffolk College is very pleased that you have decided to study with us. For Children in Care and Care Leavers we offer a support package to keep you on track.

How we can support you

As a Child in Care or Care Leaver you will be offered a meeting once a term to meet with a welfare officer. These meetings are to:

• Check how you are settling in to college life
• Discuss available support from Student Welfare
• Offer continued support
• Discuss Future options/independent guidance advice
• To complete your Personal Education Plan (PEPs) if they apply

Overall responsibility for Children in Care and Care Leavers is with Acting Student Welfare Manager, Claire Battey.

Please come to see staff in Student Welfare for support with:

• Personal Issues
• Health Issues
• Sexual Health Issues
• Drugs and Alcohol support
• Advocacy
• Relationships
• Counselling
• Benefit advice
• Money Advice
• Any safeguarding issues
• Food Banks -if you do not have enough food at home or are worrying about the amount you have. please see the Student Welfare reception team and enquire about a food parcel.

Funding

16-18

If you are a Child in Care aged 16 to 18 on the 1st of September of the year you start your course, then you will be entitled to funding of £1200 for the academic year.

The award will be paid as fortnightly payments, paid evenly throughout the academic year based on the attendance. The funding can also be put towards:

• Monies towards travel or an internal pass (please ask if you come under an internal route)
• Equipment and uniform
• Lunch vouchers The cost of any additional items will be taken off of your total award of £1200, reducing your fortnightly payments

Funding 19+

For Care Leavers aged 19 or over, funding is available for exam fees, travel, equipment, uniform, childcare and lunch vouchers. You can speak to anyone in Student Welfare about available funding.

Higher Education Funding

For Care Leavers aged 19 or over, funding is available for exam fees, travel, equipment, uniform, childcare and lunch vouchers. You can speak to anyone in Student Welfare about available funding.

Personal Progress Tutor

All students have a personal progress tutor. They will support you through your academic course. They will also be the first point of call for any of your needs on the course.

Covenant

West Suffolk College recognises the challenges that young people face when they leave the care system and begin to live independently. We recognise that all parts of society have a responsibility to support care leavers so that they can make a successful transition to adulthood. We hereby make a commitment to undertake the following actions that will help improve care leavers’ life chances. 

There are enough things to think about when you are studying at college without Learning Support being one of them. So, don’t worry, whatever it is that you may need help with, our team can work with you to put in place the right support that meets your needs.

If you have previously received learning support or find yourself requiring extra help with your studies at any point, our Learning Support team can:

• Work closely with you to assess your specific support needs.
• Identify effective learning support strategies that work for you.
• Offer appropriate and specific support to meet your individual needs.
• Enable you to better manage, with a view to overcoming, barriers to learning that you may be experiencing.

In the Learning Lounge (Suffolk House) you can find help through our dedicated team of Inclusive Learning Mentors who will be able to work supportively with you through any challenging times, help you to keep focused and on track.

Please get in contact with the SEND & Learning Support Team:

• If you would like to make us aware of any Special Educational Needs.
• If you have any concerns about your transition or the support, you may require in September.
• If you have any documents you would like to pass onto us, such as Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), Medical care plans, Diagnosis Reports, proof of exam Access arrangements from High School.

1. Where can I find support with my course?

• From your Personal Progress Tutor (PPT), or members of staff on your course. You can also come to the Learning Lounge In Suffolk House and speak to our team. DIRECTIONS: walk past the bistro and conservatory, turn left, walk up the stairs and open the double doors to the Learning Lounge.

2. What kind of support is available to me?
   • This depends on what needs you have. If you’re not sure and want more information, come and speak to us or email us at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

3. Who are the staff that can help me?
   • There are lots of staff at West Suffolk College who are ready to support you. Have a look at the “Staff Roles list” on the Learning Support page to help you to see who you could speak to.

4. How can I get help with my exams/assessments?
   • Let us know if you have had any exam access arrangements before and we can help you find the right people to speak to.

5. What if I’m nervous to come into college?
   • Firstly, talk to members of staff, they will want to support you. We also offer “Meet and Greet”, for students with SEND who need support getting in and getting set up for the day.

6. What is an EHCP?
   • An Education, Health and Care Plan. If you had one in school, then this will still be in place when you join us at West Suffolk College.

7. What is an annual review of an EHCP?
   • This is a review of the targets and outcomes set out in the EHCP. This is done once a year to make sure that you are making progress and to review your support. You are asked to attend, along with a parent or carer and any other professionals that might support you.

8. What if I’m worried about travelling into college?
   • Please use the West Suffolk College website page to help with this: https://www.wsc.ac.uk/about-the-college/getting-to-the-college

9. What if I need to use the lift due to my physical needs?
   • Lift keys are available for students who need these. Please ask at reception for support with this.

10. What if I have had access arrangements for exams?
    • Access arrangements could be things such as extra time, or a scribe in exams.

If you had these in school, then you can ask for a form known as “Form8” and bring this to college to be processed so we can ensure you get the right support.
If you have an EHCP, then you do not need to do this, and the college will assess what needs to be in place.

Welcome to the West Suffolk College Library.

The Library is the heart of all resources and information in the college, and the Learning, Knowledge and Library team are here to support you in your research and your learning. Not only will you be able to find loads of information to support you in your course, you will also find resources for relaxation and leisure. From easy reading, young adult and classic novels, from art and graphic design inspiration to manga books, the library has a vast collection for you to explore.

As well as books, we also have a service called Library+. Similar to internet searches, Library+ is a search engine and discovery service where you can find thousands of digital books and journals which have been especially chosen to support you with your learning and research. If you ever want help using Library+, come and see the team at the helpdesk in the Library.

We also have a variety of study spaces, quieter study areas as well as more relaxed seating. Look out for our quizzes, reading challenges, colouring corner and board games.

Opening times during term

West Suffolk College Library

University Studies Library