Parents and guardians

Starting university is an exciting time for your child, and we want to help you support them on their journey.

This page will answer some of your questions about their path from school or college to university and give you an insight into life at Leeds Trinity University.

Supporting your child

We've put together some information and resources for every step of your journey together to university. The sections below cover every step:

• Years 7-11 
• Years 12-13 and applying to University
• The first year of university

Years 7-11

Whether it's thinking about the future or choosing subject options, we can help you to support and coach your child through this time.

Depending on your child, you may want to tailor your support and play a more active role where the young person is unsure.

The earlier a student can start thinking about their future options, including what to study, where and what careers they may enjoy, the better.

Your child's GCSE options and grades may impact on your future choices in both A-level (and equivalent) and university.

To illustrate this further, we have included their journey below with some key coaching questions you may want to ask them and some top tips:

Years 8 and 9 - GCSE choices

What is their favourite subject?

Do any subjects link to their hobbies?

Which subjects are they excelling in?

Direct them to online/in-school resources to find out what careers their favourite subjects might lead to. 

The UCAS website has some guidance to help.

Years 10 and 11 - GCSE study

Which GCSE subjects would they like to take further?

If they could only study one subject, what would it be? Have they learned about any new subjects or careers?

Encourage looking at college and sixth form prospectuses, websites and support visiting open events to find out more.

Years 12-13

Applying to university

Support is at the heart of the Leeds Trinity University experience. We'll support your child throughout their application to university by keeping them updated with everything they need to know, but we also know how important it is for you to feel involved in the process, too.

We've put together a step-by-step guide coving the whole process– from before your child applies, to when they join us – to help support your child in their transition to university.

Request a copy of the guide.

Parent Information Events

Our Parent Information Events provide the opportunity to watch presentations by Leeds Trinity University staff and our partners on topics relevant to your child’s university application journey. You will also be able to ask live questions to our staff and students about life at LTU.

See the event page for more information and to book your place.

The first year of university

We look forward to welcoming your child if they get a place here at Leeds Trinity.

We do realise, some of us from our own experience, that this will be a bittersweet moment.

It is our mission to help your child achieve more, develop resilience, confidence and independence and graduate with pride.

It is in that spirit that we offer the following advice and information:

Independence

We would like to pose a few practical questions in preparation for a good start:

• can they cook? Can they cook different meals for several days in a row? And using reasonably healthy ingredients?
• have they ever planned a weekly shop and either ordered it online or carried it back from a supermarket?
• have they thought through their termly income and worked out a weekly budget?
• do they know how to use a washing machine?
• do they understand the importance of prompt, regular washing of pots and dishes for hygiene and harmony?

Resilience and living with others

The two most common concerns, particularly in the first term, are homesickness and living with new people.

Keeping in touch and quick weekend trips back home can help but it is important we all keep supporting the commitment to a new independent life.

Students sometimes feel that they should be having the best time of their lives when it can be quite difficult.

We have a section in our handbook for new students called It's Okay To Feel Not Okay.

Resident Mentors and Student Support are available for any kind of chat and there is a lot of advice for students on our Counselling Service web pages.

Living together in a flat unit or shared house also calls on personal skills.

Success comes from being reasonable, seeing things from other people's point of view and, above all, talking about things early on without going on social media.

We see harmonious living as something to work at - and we can help with it - but it's not an entitlement.

Privacy

University students are usually legally adults and we will have a contractual relationship with your child as a registered student.

This includes general and particular legal rights. For example, they have a right to privacy and confidentiality.

We will not reveal personal details, such as addresses or attendance patterns or academic reports, without their explicit permission.

If you have concerns about any aspect of your child's experience at university, including the behaviour of other students, we ask you to appreciate the legal requirement that the student, your child, must give consent to any discussions about them. And even then we cannot discuss other students.

Duty of care

As a public organisation, we have a legal general duty of care.

We are competent and ready to care, but students need to take the initiative and inform us of problems, whether their own or those of their friends and hall-mates.

Students can contact or call into our academic and personal support services during working hours but support cannot always be immediate or unlimited.

If you have a concern about service provision, please clarify with us directly before your child confirms their place.

We encourage all resident students to register with the local GP surgery.

As a university, whose funding comes entirely from students' tuition fees, our services are focused on helping students stay the course. Our care is not a substitute for public health and other social services.