Access to Higher Education
Latest news about Access provision in
OCN Eastern Region
OCN Eastern Region is proud to announce that it
received an outstanding outcome to the review of its
Access Validating Agency (AVA) licence by the
Quality Assurance Agency for
higher education (QAA)
with a total of nine commendations. To read the full
story including a detailed summary of the outcomes
please
click here.
The full report can be found on the
QAA website
ACCESS TO HE DIPLOMA CENTRES AND COURSES
Access documents download
Access
Summer 08 newsletter
Access Bulletin - Spring 2008
OCN Eastern Region Centre celebrates Access to HE
learner achievement
Update to Access moderation timetable for 2008-09
Access unit quality and rationalisation project
(AUQR)
What is an Access to Higher Education (HE) course?
Access to HE courses are specially designed to equip
mature students, for entry into Higher Education and
provide the underpinning knowledge and skills needed
to progress to a degree course at university or
college.
These courses enable mature students who do not have
the level 2 and 3 qualifications of O levels, GCSEs
and A levels / AGNVQs, needed to progress to Higher
Education; to acquire the Access to HE
qualification, which is equivalent in standard to
these qualifications. Please note that there is no
longer a lower age limit for Access courses.
Open College Network and Access to Higher Education
Open College Network Eastern Region is an Access
validating agency (AVA), which in 2006 was awarded a
new License by the Quality Assurance Agency for
Higher Education (QAA) to approve Access courses and
to award QAA- recognised certificates to students.
Our Centres and their Learners
We currently approve almost 100 Access to Higher
Education courses in 30 FE colleges, training
centres and adult education centres across the
region, with over 3,500 registered Access to HE
learners.
Studying for Access to Higher Education
Most Access to HE courses can be completed full time
in one year, and many are also available on a
part-time basis, over two or more years.
Some Access courses are designed to prepare students
for a particular university degree course, such as
Access to Law or Access to Nursing and some provide
a more general preparation for university study,
allowing choice of a range of different subjects on
offer. Access courses generally include a
number of academic subjects relevant to your
intended degree course plus a compulsory core
element including numeracy, literacy, IT and
communication skills, which will provide students
with the essentials needed for successful study at
university.
The QAA has now confirmed to all
Access validating agency
(AVAs) that from September 2008 all Access courses
will be required to operate that same national
credit target and specification. This new
national qualification will be entitled the
Access to HE Diploma.
The new Diploma will require that all Access
students, regardless of the Access course they
study, achieve 60 credits to be awarded the
qualification, of which a minimum of 45 must be
achieved at Level 3. The OCN Eastern Region
will implement the requirements of the new Diploma
with our Access providers (colleges) between
September 2006 and July 2008.
For details of how OCNER will
implement the new Access Diploma.
Currently the majority of Access providers in the
Eastern Region currently operate a 60-credit target,
whereby students must achieve 60 credits, with at
least 45 credits at level 3 and no more than 45 at
level 2, to be awarded the Access to HE Certificate.
Other providers in the Region operate a 48-credit
target, whereby students must achieve 48 credits, at
least 36 at level 3 and no more than 12 at level 2.
It is therefore the case that, until September 2008,
some colleges may offer the Access Diploma with 60
credits, but others may offer the Access Certificate
with either 48 or 60 credits. Universities are being
informed of the changes and, until 2008, the
different QAA-recognised Access qualifications will
continue to be accepted equally by universities for
entry onto their degree courses.
ACCESS TO HE DIPLOMA CENTRES AND COURSES
The following colleges and organisations offer QAA-recognised
Access to HE Diploma courses validated by OCN
Eastern Region, part of the National Open College
Network.
Clicking on the list below will give you more
information on the courses offered at each Access
centre and contact details.
Adult Community Learning Essex
Aylesbury College
Barking College
Barnet College
Barnfield College
Braintree College
Chelmsford College
Colchester Institute
Harlow College
Havering College
Hertford Regional College
Newham College of Further Education
Norfolk Adult Education Service
North Hertfordshire College
Oaklands College
Redbridge College
SEEVIC College
South East Essex College
South Essex Partnership NHS Trust
Southgate College
Suffolk New College
Thurrock and Basildon College
Waltham Forest College
West Herts College
Adult
Community Learning Essex
Courses:
Access to Higher Education Diploma
Contact:
Adult Community Learning
Harwich Centre
Main Road
Dovercourt
Essex
CO12 4AH
Main telephone (Harwich): 01255 502467
Adult Community Learning
Clacton Centre
St Osyth Road
Clacton on Sea
Essex
CO15 3BN
Main telephone (Clacton): 01255 424151
Access coordinator: Sue Craggs
Email:
lifelong.learningnortheast@essex.gov.uk
Web:
http://adultlearning.essexcc.gov.uk
Aylesbury College
Courses:
Access to Higher Education Diploma
Contact:
Main Campus
Oxford Road
Aylesbury
Buckinghamshire
HP21 8PD
Access coordinator: Elizabeth Kilby
Telephone: 01296 588588
Customer Services Team:
customerservices@aylesbury.ac.uk
Telephone: 01296 588599
Web:
www.aylesburycollege.ac.uk
Barking College
Courses:
Access to Higher Education Diploma
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Humanities and
social sciences)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Social Work)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Teaching)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Journalism)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Creative
writing)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Science)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Health Studies,
Nursing and Midwifery)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Information
Technology)
Contact:
Main Campus (Rush Green)
Dagenham Road
Romford
Essex
RM7 0XU
Access coordinators: Paul Wilson (IT)
Annie Woods (Health studies, nursing and midwifery)
Janette Reynolds (all other Access courses)
Telephone: 01708 770000
Email:
admissions@barkingcollege.ac.uk
Web:
http://www.barkingcollege.ac.uk/index.asp
Barnet College
Courses:
Access to Higher Education Diploma
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Health
professions and nursing studies)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Information
technology)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Primary
teaching)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Radiography)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Science)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Sociall work and
related professions)
Contact:
North London Business Park
Building 3
Oakleigh Road South
London
N11 1GN
Wood Street Centre
Wood Street
Barnet
EN5 4AZ
Courses information line: 020 8266 4000
Web:
www.barnet.ac.uk
Barnfield College
Courses:
Access to Higher Education Diploma
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Health studies)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Social studies)
Contact:
Barnfield College
Rotheram Avenue Campus
Luton
LU1 5PP
Barnfield College
New Bedford Road Campus
Luton
LU2 7BF
Barnfield College
York Street Campus
Luton
LU2 0EZ
Barnfield College
Westbourne Road Campus
Bedford
MK40 4PQ
Access coordinator: Darrell Martin
Main telephone: 01582 569700
Course enquiries: 01582 569500
Email:
enquiries@barnfield.ac.uk
Web:
www.barnfield.ac.uk
Braintree College
Courses:
Access to Higher Education Diploma
Contact:
Braintree College
Church Lane
Braintree
Essex
CM7 5SN
Access Coordinator: John Wright
Main telephone: 01376 321711
Course enquiries line: 01376 557020
Email:
enquiry@Braintree.ac.uk
Web:
www.braintree.ac.uk
Chelmsford College
Courses:
Access to Higher Education Diploma
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Health and care
professions)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Humanities)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Science)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Social work)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Teaching)
Contact:
Chelmsford College
Upper Moulsham Street
Chelmsford
Essex
CM2 0JQ
Access coordinator: Roger Webber
Main telephone: 01245 265611
Information centre: 01245 293009
Web:
www.chelmsford-college.ac.uk
Colchester
Institute
Courses:
Access to Higher Education Diploma
Contact:
Colchester Institute
Sheepden Road
Colchester
Essex
CO3 3LL
Access coordinator: Sally Wilcox
Main telephone: 01206 712000
Course enquiries: 01206 712777
Web:
www.colchester.ac.uk
Harlow College
Courses:
Access to Higher Education Diploma
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Social sciences)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Life sciences)
Contact:
Harlow College
Velizy Avenue
Town Centre
Harlow
Essex
CM20 3LH
Access coordinator: Frances Taylor
Main telephone: 01279 868000
Admissions advisers: 01279 868100
Email:
full-time@harlow-college.ac.uk
Web:
www.harlow-college.ac.uk
Havering College
Courses:
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Computing)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Humanities)
Contact:
Havering College
Ardleigh Green Road Main Campus
Hornchurch
Essex
RM11 2LL
Access Coordinator: Paul Winser
Main telephone:
01708 455011
Course enquiries: 01708 462801
Email:
information@havering-college.ac.uk
Web:
www.havering-college.ac.uk
Hertford
Regional College
Courses:
Access to Higher Education Diploma (English and
humanities)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Nursing and
health studies)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Science)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Social studies)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Teaching)
Contact:
Hertford Regional College
Ware Centre
Scotts Rd,
Ware,
SG12 9JF
Hertford Regional College
Broxbourne Centre
High Rd,
Turnford,
Broxbourne,
EN10 6AE
Access Coordinator: Jill Harris
Main telephone: 01992 411400
Information centre: 01992 411411
Email:
info@hrc.ac.uk
Web:
www.hrc.ac.uk
Newham College of Further Education
Courses:
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Business and IT)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Computing and
maths)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Computer
engineering)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Health sciences)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Forensic
science)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Sports science)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Social science)
Contact:
Newham College of Further Education
Stratford Campus
Welfare Road
London
E15 4HT
Newham College of Further Education
East Ham Campus
High Street South
London
E6 6ER
Main telephone: 020 8257 4000
Course enquiries: 020 8257 4446
Email:
admissions@newham.ac.uk
Web:
www.newham.ac.uk
Norfolk Adult Education Service
Courses:
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Health
professions)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Social
professions)
Contact:
Norfolk Adult Education Service
Wensum Lodge
169 King Street
Norwich
Norfolk
NR1 1QW
Access Coordinator: Christine Deeley
(Health professions)
Kate
Swan (Social professions)
Main telephone: 0844 800 8002
Web:
http://www.norfolk.gov.uk/
North
Hertfordshire College
Courses:
Access to Higher Education Diploma
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Health
professions)
Contact:
North Hertfordshire College
Stevenage Centre
Monkswood Way
Stevenage
Herts
SG1 1LA
North Hertfordshire College
Hitchin Centre
Cambridge Road
Hitchin
Herts
SG4 0JD
Access Coordinator: Judy Daley
Main telephone: 01462 424242
Courses information: 01462 424239
Email:
enquiries@nhc.ac.uk
Web:
www.nhc.ac.uk
Oaklands College
Courses:
Access to Higher Education Diploma
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Health
professions)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Humanities and
social science)
Contact:
Borehamwood Campus
Elstree Way
Borehamwood
Herts
WD6 1 JZ
St Albans City Campus
St Peters Road
St Albans
Herts
AL1 3RX
St Albans Smallford Campus
Hatfield Road
St Albans
Herts
AL4 0JA
Welwyn Garden City Campus
The Campus
Welwyn Garden City
Herts
AL8 6AH
Access coordinator: Pam Hill
Main telephone: 01727 737000
Advice Centre: 01727 737080
Email:
advice.centre@oaklands.ac.uk
Web:
www.oaklands.ac.uk
Redbridge College
Courses:
Access to Higher Education Diploma
Contact:
Redbridge College
Little Heath
Barley Lane
Romford
Essex
RM6 4XT
Access coordinator: Zara McLean
Course hotline: 020 8548 7431
General enquiries: 020 8548 7400
Email:
info@redbridge-college.ac.uk
Web:
www.redbridge-college.ac.uk
SEEVIC College
Courses:
Access to Higher Education Diploma
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Health and
social care)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Humanities)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Midwifery)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Nursing and
health-related application)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Social work)
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Teaching)
Contact:
SEEVIC College
Runnymede Chase
Benfleet
Essex
SS7 1TW
Access coordinator: Alun Howley
Main telephone: 01268 756111
Email:
learning@seevic-college.ac.uk
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