Parents’ guidance

This guidance for parents and carers of learners aged 16-19 in schools and colleges, aims to support learners and their families to stay safe, healthy and continue learning during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Guidance for parents of 16-19 year old learners in school and college

Mental health and well-being

The Young Person’s Mental Health Toolkit contains six playlists designed to direct young people, aged 11 to 25, to a wide range of online resources that can help you through the lockdown and beyond.

In each playlist there are self-help websites, apps, helplines, and more to support your mental health and wellbeing.

Keeping safe online

Hwb’s Keeping safe online zone supports children and young people, parents/carers, practitioners and governors, with online safety and cyber security.

Distance learning resources to support learner transitions to FE and HE

The Welsh Government is working with regional consortia, colleges, Careers Wales and many others in Wales to create online learning resources for learners in Year 11, to help them to prepare to transition to study A and AS level subjects in sixth form or at a further education college, and/or start vocational learning routes within the post-16 sector.

The Welsh Government is working with universities in Wales to create online learning experiences and events for learners in Year 13, to help them prepare to transition to higher education.

e-Seren

The Seren network supports the most academically able students in state schools and further education colleges to help them gain entry to leading universities.  A number of Seren Academy distance learning resources for Year 12 and Year 13 students are now available on Hwb.

Working Wales: furloughed workers

Support for furloughed workers to improve their skills or learn new skills is available via Working Wales.

WJEC resources (GCSE, A/AS level, Vocational)

The awarding body WJEC is developing a range of student-focused resources designed specifically to help with home-learning and preparation for its qualifications.

Welsh medium resources: Porth

Porth is the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol’s new resource portal, offering access to a variety of Welsh-medium and bilingual post-16 educational resources.  The Coleg is continuing to add resources to this early version of the website.

Learning Welsh

Information about courses (including online classes) from The National Centre for Learning Welsh.

The Centre also offers online learning resources.

Learn My Way

Learn My Way provides free courses to help individuals improve their basic digital skills and get online.  These courses are designed to help people access public services, banking, health information and more.

Open University free online courses

The Open University provides a range of free online courses.  The following courses (available in English only) may be useful for anyone developing their digital skills to help with learning or with employment:

• Am I ready to be a distance learner? (three hours to complete)
• Get started with online learning (six hours to complete)
• Digital skills – succeeding in a digital world (24 hours to complete)
• Digital thinking tools for better decision making (24 hours to complete)

Post-16 qualifications: guidance for A level learners

A Guide for learners studying AS, A level and Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate qualifications from September 2020.

Covid-19: Frequently Asked Questions

The Welsh Government publishes answers to Frequently Asked Questions relating to Covid-19, including:

• FAQs for Further Education
• FAQs for business and skills, including work-based learning, apprenticeships and traineeships

Strategic framework for learning delivery from September 2020

Our overall principles for further education, work-based learning and adult learning for 2020/21.

Guidance for safe operation from September 2020

Guidance document setting out the arrangements for the safe delivery of learning from 1st September 2020 in the further education, work-based learning and adult learning sectors.

Blended learning guidance for Post-16 providers

We have worked closely with learning providers and partners to develop a plan for post-16 learning delivery from September 2020, which endorses a “blended learning” delivery model. This collection of material, developed in consultation with our Blended Learning Working Group, includes guidance on blended learning for learning providers and teaching practitioners.

We are also developing material to support continuing professional development for staff working in the Post-16 sector.

Digital learning resources available through Hwb

Many digital learning resources published on Hwb can be viewed without requiring a Hwb account, including resources in our ‘Vocational and Post-16’ area, and resources to support preparation for GCSEs in English, Mathematics and Welsh.

Toolkit for critical worker employers

A toolkit and assets for use by critical worker employers to communicate the Test, Trace, Protect strategy.

Covid-19: Support from Jisc

Jisc offers help and support for its members with planning and response in relation to Covid-19.

Learning providers in Wales who are Jisc members should contact their Account Manager for further details about any Jisc services.

Post-16 qualifications: guidance for teachers in further education Colleges and school sixth forms

Advice for teachers and lecturers delivering A Levels and Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Qualifications in schools and FE Colleges from September 2020.