Exeter College

I recently finished my course at Exeter college, I was studying health and social care. I know due to covid it wasn't a normal college experience as half the year was online however I do not feel it got me anywhere, I found myself a job linked to health and social care, where I have been working less than 2 weeks and feel I have learnt more than at college. This is just my opinion and im sure other students have had better experiences but I would NOT recommend this college.

I did my apprenticeship here in 1981 & after a 40 year successful career I'm now back teaching my trade. In my experience it's a great pace to learn (& work).

I am a Exeter college student that has just joined and I have found that the safeguarding team and some teachers in this college doesn't help when you have mental health issues especially you find it difficult to talk to new people. I am doing T-level childcare and my tutor doesn't think I'm suitable for the course because of my mental health and my past experiences that I have had that have had a negative impact on me. I feel like this doesn't effect my capability to work with children or even pass the course. I know that I have a negative personality but I also know what I do I can achieve. The Safeguarding team are not helpful at all I feel like they don't really want to help you they just want you to talk. they have managed to make me feel worse probably the worst I have ever felt in my whole life. I would not suggest anyone with bad mental health not to attend this college find another one that is willing to support you not trying to just get you to talk about your past or your home life when your not ready to talk. I also feel like I'm being treated differently due to my mental health. they take me out of lessons to try to get me to talk. I find it really difficult to talk especially if they don't try and get and know me for the person I am not a person that struggles with mental health.

In 1971 I took three one year A levels, one being a repeat having failed at another place. All three cohorts did very well, my results set me up for life, I am so grateful. It was also fun, a diverse group, we all got on well with each other, just a great atmosphere. I regret that there appears to be no alumni association.

College leaves you to do all your work pretty much on your own and at home, they might might as well not employ teachers as i’ve become a professional powerpoint reader. And the timetables are terrible, in both my first and second year i was left with days where i would have a lesson and then absolutely nothing for 3 hours and was left to hang around in Exeter all day. Didn’t make any friends either since the college is so big and they don’t involve you in the lessons.

If you are seeking employment then avoid this college at all costs. To save money on redundancies and redistributing staff, they dismissed me because of my disability. I worked for the college up until about 2 months ago, at which point they claimed that I had not completed my probationary period to a satisfactory standard. Any reason they gave was either falsified or protected under the 2010 Equality Act as it is a side effect of my disability. At no point did they even attempt to make reasonable adjustments. The group I was working with was being reduced to one class the following year so one of the tutors had to be redistributed. I also over heard a conversation between colleagues stating that one member of that support staff team would have to go. Guess my head was on the chopping block. Last in, first out. Now, when applying for a new job, they continue to discriminate against me by providing a reference based on falsified information. As a result, I am struggling to seek employment. When I took it up with the college, they refused to justify their reasons. The head of foundation learning and support Chris Petheram claimed that my cancer scare. loss of my aunt and loss of my nan all in the space of a fortnight had nothing to do with my mental health issues. He claimed we both know it has nothing to do with that". Everyone within that department is under his thumb and does what he commands. The support staff their claim he is "arrogant

I think the place itself is fine. Staff was gentle and more or less professional. But when I took the IELTS test there, I had to wait about 45 minutes until starting because of a very slow identity-checking process.

Would put 0 stars if i could. I would not recommend for additional need students. My daughter has a severe anxiety about talking and we've been told our only option is the vocational courses (which involve talking and group work). My daughter wanted to do the gcse course to improve her grades and we were told she could do it. Now, they are saying they have changed it (without letting us know beforehand) because its for students who have been at home and not school. Shes been out of school for 18 months. Now we have just been left and my daughters mental health has declined. Would not recommend

Bit annoying that teachers are only just now asking for students to have their hoods down because most people find it better working with their hoods up rather than having them down. What if its a cold day my head going to be freezing. Just a bit of a nuisance really, i think we should be given the choice to have our hoods up or down really because its a personal choice isn't it.