GCS Parent and Carer Update
Welcome
A very warm welcome to all parents and carers of our new AS learners, and thank you for choosing Gower College Swansea.
As we begin a new academic year, we are delighted to welcome your child to the College and look forward to working with you to help them succeed, develop their confidence and make the most of every opportunity available to them.
It is also important to celebrate the achievements of our learners in 2025/26. We are proud to have achieved excellent AS and A Level results, with learners performing above the national average across every grade profile. We achieved a 100% A*-E pass rate at A Level and 94% A–E pass rate at AS Level.
Our learners also achieved outstanding progression outcomes, with 202 securing places at Russell Group universities, all 12 Oxbridge offers resulting in successful places, and 21 learners securing places to study medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine.
We are equally proud of the wider learner experience at Gower College Swansea. From trips and international visits to academic enrichment, employment experiences, clubs and societies - there are many opportunities for learners to develop beyond the classroom.
Looking ahead to 2026/27, we hope your child embraces these opportunities, enjoys their time with us and excels and thrives on their programme.
Jenny Hill
Dean of Faculty
College Life
Our College community operates around three principles within our Learner Charter:
Be Respectful | Be Ready | Be Safe
We expect all learners to demonstrate commitment, enthusiasm and respect for these principles at all times. We have a zero-tolerance approach to inappropriate behaviour, including smoking or vaping outside designated areas, disrespect towards peers or staff, and unexplained or unauthorised absence. Where concerns arise, we will contact you to make you aware of the situation. We ask for your support in reinforcing these expectations at home. By working together, we can ensure that every learner enjoys a safe, respectful and positive learning environment.
Your Progress Coach
Every AS learner is allocated a Progress Coach who provides support throughout their time with us, both academically and personally. Your child's Progress Coach is likely to be your most important point of contact at College. Please feel free to get in touch if you would like an update or if there is information about your child that you feel we should know.
Progress Coaches provide:
- Weekly tutorials and regular one-to-one coaching
- Wellbeing check-ins and pastoral support
- Attendance monitoring and support
- Guidance around university, employment and future plans
- Help to ensure learners stay on track and make informed decisions
Who are the Progress Coaches?
Rebecca Timbrell
rebecca.timbrell@gcs.ac.uk
Rosie Marsden
rosetta@marsden@gcs.ac.uk
Nicole Wade
nicole.wade@gcs.ac.uk
Hannah Charles
hannah.charles2@gcs.ac.uk
Additional Support
We have a wide range of specialist support available to help learners overcome challenges and thrive at College:
Student Support Officers - Provide practical, personal and crisis support, helping learners access appropriate wellbeing and welfare services.
Funding Advisers - Supports learners with financial assistance, including EMA, FCF, WGLG and other funding available to eligible learners.
Mental Health Advisers - Provides student-centred mental health support, guidance and interventions.
Health Advisers - Offers health advice and guidance, promoting healthy choices and overall wellbeing.
Counselling - Provides confidential therapeutic support for mental health, emotional wellbeing, personal challenges and resilience, working alongside Exchange Counselling and CAMHS.
Employability - Helps learners develop confidence and employability skills, explore opportunities and prepare for their next steps.
Neurodiversity support - Provides support for learners with additional learning needs and neurodiversity.
The Neurodiversity Team are available to support learners with additional learning needs. The team works with learners to develop Individual Development Plans (IDPs) and ensure appropriate support and reasonable adjustments are put in place based on available evidence.
To enable the team to authorise examination and assessment access arrangements, learners should provide relevant supporting evidence by 30 September. We provide this as soon as possible, any questions please contact Carley.Hughes@gcs.ac.uk
Cymraeg at College
We actively encourage the use of Cymraeg at every level and recognise the importance of maintaining and developing Welsh-language skills. Using Welsh can build confidence and employability while supporting our shared culture, identity and sense of belonging.
Whether your child is fluent in Welsh or just beginning their Welsh-language journey, we encourage them to use and develop their Cymraeg throughout their time at College. Learners have the right to complete their ASBW qualification or Tutorial programme through the medium of Welsh and can request that their work is translated into Welsh at any point. There are also a range of extracurricular Welsh-language opportunities, including becoming a Llysgennad Cymraeg (Welsh Ambassador) and joining the Cymuned Cymraeg. For further information about the opportunities and support available, please contact Helen.Humphreys@gcs.ac.uk
Stretch and Challenge
Many learners have already signed up for our prestigious GCS Honours Programme an academic enrichment programme designed to support applications to competitive universities and programmes.
The programme includes:
- Oxbridge Tutorials
- Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary (MDV) Programme
- Membership of the Seren Academy
- Critical Thinking Tutorials
- Wider academic enrichment opportunities
If your child is still interested in taking part and is academically curious, it is not too late to join. For further information, please contact Emma.Smith@gcs.ac.uk
Swap don't Drop
AS/A Level is a two-year programme, so it is important that learners feel happy and confident with their subject choices. We understand that some learners may decide they would like to swap or drop a subject, and we are able to support this process.
Ensuring that your child is happy with their programme is important to their overall College experience. We would therefore appreciate your support in encouraging them to speak to us as early as possible if they have any concerns about their choices (7 October is the final deadline).
Term Dates 2026/27
Term 1
1 September – 23 October
Half Term: 26 – 30 October
2 November – 11 December
Mocks will take place during this half term.
Term 2
4 January – 5 February
Half Term: 8 – 12 February
15 February – 19 March
Term 3 – Exam Season
5 April – 28 May
Half Term: 31 May – 4 June
7 June – 25 June
Working with you
We look forward to working collaboratively with you throughout the year to support your child to make the most of their opportunities, achieve their goals and reach their full potential.
We hope they have a fantastic and successful year with us!