Welcome to the Class of 2025-26 at West Thames College!

We’re so excited you’ve chosen West Thames College, and we can’t wait to help you kickstart your journey with us.

When Your Course Starts

Your lessons will begin the week starting Monday 1 September 2025.

• You’ll get your timetable by email (sent to your personal email) by Friday 29 August. This will tell you what lessons you have, where, and when.

• Some courses begin on Monday 1 September, but others may start later in the week, so check your timetable carefully.

• You’ll also get a text message confirming the date, time and place of your first lesson.

If you have any questions about your timetable, contact your curriculum area administrator. Their details and where to find them on campus are listed below.

Your First Week at WTC

The first week is all about settling in:

• You’ll take part in activities to help you learn about college life.

• Staff will get to know you so we can give you the best possible experience.

Starting something new can feel a bit nerve-wracking – that’s normal! We’ll have staff and student ambassadors around to guide you during your first days and weeks, so you won’t be lost or alone.

How College is Different from School

If you’re moving on from school, you’ll notice some big changes. At West Thames College:

• You’ll be expected to be more independent and take responsibility for your learning, including managing your own study schedule and assignments.

• There’s no bell to signal lesson times – you’ll need to check your timetable and make sure you’re in the right place at the right time. You can also access your timetable on your smartphone via ProPortal for extra convenience.

• You’ll call your teachers by their first names, which might feel strange at first but is part of being in a Further Education environment.

• Our term dates can be different from school – check our website for the latest dates.

Once you’ve got your timetable, take a look around campus so you know where your lessons are. This will make your first week much easier.

What Should I Wear to College?

For many of you, this might be the first time you don’t have to wear a uniform – and that can feel like a big change!

• For most courses there’s no set dress code at West Thames College, so you can wear what you like as long as it’s appropriate for college and your course.

• Think about your day when choosing your outfit – comfort is key, and you want something practical for your study environment.

• Hoodies are allowed, but please make sure to keep your hood down at all times around college.

• If you’re on a practical course like Construction, Engineering, Science, Hairdressing, Beauty Therapy or some T Levels, there are specific requirements around uniform and personal protective clothing.

Additional requirements:

• For courses at our Feltham Skills + Logistics Centre, you’ll need to purchase your equipment at the centre. Safety wear information is provided at enrolment.

• For Science courses at our Isleworth campus, students will need to buy their own lab coats and look after them throughout the year.

• For Health & Beauty courses, a uniform is mandatory to maintain high professional standards and meet health and safety requirements. Students must purchase the uniform and wear all black until it arrives (no jeans, no branded clothing). Closed-toe shoes must be worn at all times.

• Wearing safety clothing in workshops is essential for your protection – this is taken very seriously for everyone’s wellbeing.

Dressing for college is a great way to express yourself – just make sure you feel confident, comfortable and safe and we would advise against wearing your most delicate clothes to practical sessions.

Support

If you need any extra support with your studies or life at college, let your teacher or Student Learning Advisor know as soon as possible, so we can put everything in place to help you from day one.

What to Bring

• Pen and paper

• A set of headphones

• Lunch or money for food/drinks

• If you left school in summer 2025, bring your Year 11 school report (if you didn’t already show it when you enrolled).

Before Your First Day

To make your start smoother, try to:

1. Download Microsoft Teams (you can’t log in with college details until induction day, but having the app ready helps).

1. Log in to Office 365 with your college email to access free software (check if this is available before induction).

1. Buy your bus pass and sort out any travel arrangements.

When you arrive at the College, be aware that West Thames College uses Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to keep your online accounts secure. MFA adds an extra layer of protection by requiring both your password and a verification code when you log in. It’s really important for keeping your personal information and college work safe.

You can find a step-by-step guide on how to set up and use MFA here.

Top Tips for Settling In at WTC

• Make time to meet new people – starting college is the perfect opportunity to make new friends, whether you already know classmates or are coming in on your own.

• Explore your new surroundings – take a walk around the college during your first days to find classrooms, study areas, cafés, and support services. You’ll soon feel at home.

• Know where to go for support or downtime – make a mental note of places where you can get academic or wellbeing help, study quietly, relax, or grab a snack.

• Join a club, society or sports team – it’s a great way to make friends, build skills and feel part of the WTC community.

And don’t worry if you don’t know where everything is right away – you’ll be surprised how quickly West Thames College starts to feel familiar.

West Thames College recognises its statutory duty and responsibility to safeguard and promote the safety and welfare of children, young people and those adult deemed ‘vulnerable’ and is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all students, staff and those who have direct links with the organisation including offsite students, apprentices and sub-contracting providers. The college actively promotes the positive welfare of all students, those with additional needs, mental health and physical health and expects all teaching and support staff, volunteers, WEX and partner agencies to adhere to these practices at all times.

To ensure all our students are safe we:

• Practice safe staff recruitment and check the suitability of staff and volunteers that work with young students or vulnerable adults
• Raise awareness of child protection, vulnerable adults and safeguarding through staff training sessions
• Implement policy and procedures for identifying and reporting cases or suspected cases of abuse against a young person or vulnerable adult
• Support young students or vulnerable adults who have been subjected to abuse
• Listen to and support our students to ensure their learning environment is safe and welcoming
• Ensuring that our students are safe in their personal lives and in the community is critical to everything we do. The college will be providing continued advice and support to students who are considered to be vulnerable and for those who receive free college meals and bursaries.

Safeguarding and Preventing Radicalisation and Extremism

Prevent is part of the safeguarding process:

• it is a safety net against radicalisation. It aims to intervene early, to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.
• Prevent deals with all terrorist ideologies, from Islamist to Extreme Right-Wing.
• Prevent is delivered at a local level by experts who understand the risks in their communities. Partners include local authorities, police, education, healthcare and charities.
• For people who are susceptible to radicalisation, Prevent can provide personalised interventions to help them move away from dangerous ideologies.

Contacting the Safeguarding Teams

If for any reason, you feel unsafe whether inside or outside of college or would like to report a safeguarding concern please contact a member of the safeguarding team.

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm

Out of hours
If there is a life threatening situation, please call 999 or 101 non-emergency

Kooth is an online counselling and emotional well-being support service for children and young people aged 11 to 25. Kooth is a completely safe and anonymous website where you can go to gain advice, support and guidance from counsellors 365 days a year.

The experienced counsellors, moderated message forums and magazines can offer emotional support to you around a wide range of issues, from having a bad day or falling out with friends, to more serious issues such as bullying, stress, anxiety, depression, family relationships, sexuality, eating disorders, self-harm, abuse etc.

They can also support you if you are on the waiting list for Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) or if you do not meet the CAMHS criteria.

Visit Website:  https://www.kooth.com

As temperatures drop and fuel bills rise, we understand that this winter will be challenging for both staff and students.

Hounslow Council and partners are teaming up to provide spaces and places for residents to keep warm and to keep the bills down.

Visit Website: 

https://shorturl.at/tQR12

Domestic Violence Support

https://www.womensaid.org.uk/information-support/

https://www.womensaid.org.uk/cover-your-tracks-online/

Police Contact

https://www.police.uk/pu/contact-us/

NSPCC

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/

Opening hours

We are available during normal business hours:
9.00am – 5.00pm (Monday – Thursday)
9.00am – 4.30pm (Friday).

Safeguarding Team

Samantha Louisy Chair of Operations (DSL)
Beverley McGuire Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
Jazz Sidhu Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

Out of hours emergency safeguarding contacts

If there is a life threatening situation:

• Ring for an ambulance and/or contact the police on 999 or 101 non-emergency
• If you think a child, young person or vulnerable adult is being abused or mistreated or you have concerns about a child, young person or vulnerable adult’s well-being you should call the Duty Team at the relevant local authority. The emergency contact details are available on the Local Authorities website.
  
  Click here for a list of external organisation contacts.

We offer Driver CPC Training courses at our Skills+Logistics Centre, Feltham. Book your place now at the special price of £60 per day, per driver (including upload fee).

The one day course will take place every Wednesday, starting 24 July. 

The five day course starts from Monday 15 July.

To book your place on one of these courses, or if you have any questions about the courses, please contact: 
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

You can also find more information about Driver CPC courses on the Logistics Skills Alliance website.

All professional bus, coach and lorry drivers are required to have up-to-date CPC training in order to drive in the UK and Europe. Drivers are required to do 35 hours of training every 5 years to keep your Driver CPC status.*

*If you miss the training deadline, it is illegal to drive professionally and you could be fined up to £1000.

The Skills+Logistics Centre is based in West London, just a short distance from Heathrow. The maps below show how you can find us via public transport and driving.