Information

Thank you for choosing to study the Access to Higher Education Diploma with us at University Centre Newbury (UCN) part of Newbury College. We are excited to meet you this coming September. In preparation, there are some points we need you to be aware of:-

• Advanced Learner Loan Application - During the summer period July/August, you should have received details from the college about the Advanced Learner Loan and applied for this. Should you have any problems with either of these processes, please get in touch with our Information Officer, Maria Corcoran This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
  
  
• Enrolment and Induction - The course begins in w/c 2nd September 2024 with an Induction to the College. You will complete Enrolment forms on the day, so please bring with you proof of ID (passport, driving licence, birth certificate, national insurance card/letter) and proof of previous English and maths qualifications (if applicable). Induction sessions will run from 9:00 – 15:00 Monday 2nd, Wednesday 4th or Thursday 5th September. You will only need to attend one of these sessions. Part of the Induction will include issuing your ID badge/Access pass to the UCN, alongside login details for the college’s IT system.

• Getting Started - Teaching will begin the week commencing the 9th of September 2024. You will be asked at Induction which your preferred in College day will be; the choices are:
  • Tuesday 9:00 – 18:30 – Nursing and Midwifery, Science & Paramedic Science
  • Wednesday 9:30 16:30 – Nursing and Midwifery only
  • Thursday 9:00 – 18:30 Nursing and Midwifery, Science, Paramedic Science and Health and Social Care Diploma. 
    
    
• Planned Trip—We will visit the Science Museum in London as part of your course on Thursday, 10th October 2024. The museum is free, but a train travel cost will be necessary. If we make group bookings off-peak, this is approximately £25.00. This is a useful visit for your initial assignments particularly Social Issues in Healthcare and Human Physiology.

Preparatory Tasks

In order to prepare yourself for the upcoming year, here are some suggestions/recommendations that you may want to look at:

• Investigate which universities you may apply to. Many will hold open days over the summer or in the early Autumn.
• Begin your personal statement - there are many different resources on UCAS that can help you with this. You can find them available by following this link and scrolling to the bottom: How to write a UCAS Undergraduate personal statement | Undergraduate | UCAS. You can also contact our Careers Adviser and UCAS Lead, Karen Taylor, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
• Study skills booklets - Below are three different study skills booklets. Working through these booklets in advance will prepare you for your first assignments.

There is no set textbook for an access programme, but much of what we do follows the A-level syllabus. There are some textbooks available, and many are online. We will go through these when you start in September. Below are some suggested activities according to the subjects you will be doing:-

• Social Issues in Healthcare is a subject that many of you will be completing, and a good starting point is to gain an understanding of the history of health/social care (Science students do not take this unit). In addition to the recommended videos below, keep up with relevant stories in the news as these can often be used as examples in your essays: - 
  • Health before the NHS The Road to Recovery available at Health before the NHS 1 The Road to Recovery - YouTube
  • The NHS A Difficult Beginning available at The NHS: A Difficult Beginning - YouTube
    
• Biology: We recommend getting the CGP Head Start to A-Level Biology (with Online Edition): bridging the gap between GCSE and A-Level (CGP Head Start to A-Level): Amazon.co.uk: CGP Books, CGP Books: 9781782942795: Books It is available on Amazon for £4.95. to build on knowledge from GCSE to A-Level. Sections 1-6 cover Human Biology. This is relevant to all courses except for Health and Social Care.

• Chemistry: For those taking the Science or Paramedic Science pathway, we recommend getting the CGP Head Start to A-Level Chemistry (with Online Edition): bridging the gap between GCSE and A-Level (CGP A-Level Chemistry): Amazon.co.uk: CGP Books, CGP Books: 9781782942801: BooksOn Amazon, this sells for £4.95, all sections, except for 6 and 7, will be useful.

• Psychology: If you have no previous experience in psychology, a good start can be found on the free learning platform OpenLearn where there is an introduction module, Starting with psychology - OpenLearn - Open University. You will need to set up an account, but this may be a useful site for other assignments throughout the year. This is studied in all courses except for Paramedic Science.

Finally, we want to wish you a good summer and look forward to meeting you in September 2024.

UCN students that have applied for a programme beginning in September 2024 will be invited to enrol from July 2024.

Apply Online

You can search UCN programmes here

Interview and Offer

Once your application has been processed, you will be invited to meet your tutor and discuss your chosen career development pathway. Following this meeting, your offer will be confirmed. Please ensure you confirm your acceptance of your offer to secure your place for September.

Enrolment 

UCN direct entry Engineering applicants (non-apprentices only) for September 2024 will be sent an email invite to enrol online between 15 Jul - 31 Jul.

We have produced a short ' pdf How to Guide (1.45 MB) ' to support you with this process. 

Access to HE students, please see additional information to support your enrolment.

Students applying to study a Partner University Programme will be enrolled directly with the respective University:

• Level 6 and Level 7 Engineering
  Partner University: Buckinghamshire New University (UCN liaise directly with the Partner University to manage your enrolment)

How to Pay

The fees due will be confirmed prior to enrolment, and you will be asked how you intend to pay for your programme. Please ensure your fees are paid in full before the start of your course.

You can pay:

• By card or cheque in person, at reception, or over the phone (01635 845000)
• By Instalment Payment Plan - these are considered for fees over £500. Please email the Finance Department to discuss This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
• Via your employer - If your employer is paying your fees, please complete Employer Authorisation Form
• Using a Higher Education Student Loan - You may apply for a Higher Education Student Loan to pay your fees; applications must be submitted directly to the student loan company before 01 September. Further information on how to apply for a loan can be found on the gov.uk website.
• If you are enrolling on an Access to HE programme, you can apply for Advanced Learner Loan: How to apply - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

UCN Subscription fund

All students will need to pay a UCN subscription fee of £15 annually. This will be collected at the start of your programme and covers:

• Student card giving access to student discounts
• Contribution towards printing costs
• Free parking across the campus. 
• Careers advice and student support
• Enrichment activities

Starting your Programme

 These start dates are for both apprentices and direct entry students:

All policies and procedures related to University Centre Newbury are currently on the Newbury College website.

For more information please contact 01635 845000.

See policies

ACHIEVE YOUR DEGREE LOCALLY

University Centre Newbury (UCN) was developed in 2020 and brings higher education opportunities to West Berkshire.  UCN provides a solution for the community that sees an expansion and the continuous development of higher education that supports businesses to develop talented employees and enables adults to excel in their careers while gaining nationally recognized qualifications.

Students enrolling with us build upon their professional development up to postgraduate qualifications, through partnerships with a range of university partners without the need to relocate.  We also offer flexible learning options to suit the needs of businesses.

We provide degrees and other higher-level qualifications in the key sectors of Business & Finance, Leadership & Management, AI and Machine Learning, Engineering and Health & Social Care.

We are supported bay range of local businesses including Xtrac, Sovereign Housing and Harwell Science Park. Our partnerships aim to address the needs of local employers and ensure training is relevant and specific, not only for new employees but also to increase the opportunities to upskill existing staff.

The dedicated UCN facilities within the Newbury College building has digital labs, teaching rooms and study space equipped with the technologies for flexible digital learning, to enable the successful delivery of the programmes.