The Student Room Group

Thrown off Access.....Is this right?

Hello i'm new to posting but have been reading for a few months now.
I have a problem :frown:
I started an Access to Science course in september. It was over 3 days a week and we had 1hr30min lessons of 4 science subjects per week. From the 2nd week we were all told that we had to complete our UCAS forms and personal statements before Nov 1st. Our tutor wrote everyone an academic reference to go with it. Off they went and offers were coming in from the Universities. I only needed to pass the course to meet my offers. This week the tutors set us 4 level2 science exams. Included in these was material that we had not covered. A third of us failed them including myself and they have told us that we cannot continue on the Access course.
My question is.....can they do this? It's too late to join another course as they all started in september and we have already had offers from Universities. What do we now do with our UCAS?
I'm in a state of shock at the present moment and so are some of the others.
Any information or advice would be gratefully welcomed.
Thank you!!

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Reply 1
That sounds very harsh, you cannot be expected to pass exams if you haven't covered the material in class.

I would make an offical complaint and cause a fuss.

We have our first level 2 maths exam next week and we have been told that we only need 40% to pass and if we don't pass we will get to resit..... Our tutor tells us as long as we put the effort in he will not allow anyone to fail; meaning he will sit with us one to one and go over every subject 100 times if that is what it takes for us to understand it.

That is a world apart from your experience obviously. Is your course over subscribed? Is your attendance good?

I think something is very wrong if they are kicking you off with no second chance.
Reply 2
No its not right at all. I'm currently doing an Access course which involves no exams, just assignments. We only have to do some written assignments in class otherwise its all home based. Strange.

Yeah, i think you should contact someone and complain.
I hope you are getting a refund! :lolwut:
Reply 3
That is wrong because i think you should be allowed to resit before they can throw you out, that at least was the official position at my college when i dis the course, if you failed once you were given a chance to resit and if you failed the resit then you would be thrown out.
Why don't you get together everyone who is being thrown out in a class action and submitt one huge complaint letter to your college.
Reply 4
Original post by BigV
That sounds very harsh, you cannot be expected to pass exams if you haven't covered the material in class.

I would make an offical complaint and cause a fuss.

We have our first level 2 maths exam next week and we have been told that we only need 40% to pass and if we don't pass we will get to resit..... Our tutor tells us as long as we put the effort in he will not allow anyone to fail; meaning he will sit with us one to one and go over every subject 100 times if that is what it takes for us to understand it.

That is a world apart from your experience obviously. Is your course over subscribed? Is your attendance good?

I think something is very wrong if they are kicking you off with no second chance.


I had 100% attendance and we all put the effort in, everybody helped each other in the classes if others were struggling. There is a lot on the course but not over subscribed in any way. The best part is that our Physics teacher didn't know much about Physics as this was not her area, so if you asked her a question,most of the time she couldn't give you an answer.
Who do we complsin to, is it the the college itself or the head of Access or Science?
Thanks for your replies.
Reply 5
Original post by Jenna30
I had 100% attendance and we all put the effort in, everybody helped each other in the classes if others were struggling. There is a lot on the course but not over subscribed in any way. The best part is that our Physics teacher didn't know much about Physics as this was not her area, so if you asked her a question,most of the time she couldn't give you an answer.
Who do we complsin to, is it the the college itself or the head of Access or Science?
Thanks for your replies.
Normally I'd suggest working your way up the food chain, but in this case given the urgency and serious implications of what they are saying to you, I think you should go straight to the Principal for the college, on Monday. Pick a couple of you to represent the whole group of people this has happened to; make a note of the key points you want to make; stay cool and calm. Before you go to the Principal, you should also dig out the college's complaints and/or appeals procedures - these must exist - and make sure that you do anything they require (eg lodge an appeal) within the timescales stated.

It does sound extreme to chuck people off the course like this, without any chance of resits, and with offers on the table. Apart from anything else, there was no need to hustle you all through the UCAS process so quickly! How on earth they could have written meaningful references after only two weeks is beyond me -
Reply 6
Original post by Minerva
Normally I'd suggest working your way up the food chain, but in this case given the urgency and serious implications of what they are saying to you, I think you should go straight to the Principal for the college, on Monday. Pick a couple of you to represent the whole group of people this has happened to; make a note of the key points you want to make; stay cool and calm. Before you go to the Principal, you should also dig out the college's complaints and/or appeals procedures - these must exist - and make sure that you do anything they require (eg lodge an appeal) within the timescales stated.

It does sound extreme to chuck people off the course like this, without any chance of resits, and with offers on the table. Apart from anything else, there was no need to hustle you all through the UCAS process so quickly! How on earth they could have written meaningful references after only two weeks is beyond me -


The UCAS and reference situation got me the most annoyed, it makes me wonder what the universities would actually think of the tutors at the college if they found out they had written a glowing academic reference and then 5weeks later dismissing us from the course. Ive got 2 interviews at Universities in the next 2 weeks which both Universites had already arranged over a week ago, which was before all the exam mess, and I really don't know what to do about them or what to say to them. Should I cancel them or still go? I just don't know!
I will hopefully be able to see somebody at college on Tuesday. I did email my tutor about the UCAS side of things and she said she doesn't know what to do about it.
Reply 7
Original post by Jenna30
The UCAS and reference situation got me the most annoyed, it makes me wonder what the universities would actually think of the tutors at the college if they found out they had written a glowing academic reference and then 5weeks later dismissing us from the course. Ive got 2 interviews at Universities in the next 2 weeks which both Universites had already arranged over a week ago, which was before all the exam mess, and I really don't know what to do about them or what to say to them. Should I cancel them or still go? I just don't know!
I will hopefully be able to see somebody at college on Tuesday. I did email my tutor about the UCAS side of things and she said she doesn't know what to do about it.
Don't cancel them, at least not yet. Seriously, this is a Monday job - if you can't actually get in to college, phone the Principal's office anyway and make an appointment to see him/her on Tuesday. This is a totally ridiculous situation and it needs resolving pronto.
Reply 8
Original post by Minerva
Don't cancel them, at least not yet. Seriously, this is a Monday job - if you can't actually get in to college, phone the Principal's office anyway and make an appointment to see him/her on Tuesday. This is a totally ridiculous situation and it needs resolving pronto.


We were told to go in on Tuesday if we wanted to, for a one to one meeting about careers and guidance.
Reply 9
Original post by Jenna30
We were told to go in on Tuesday if we wanted to, for a one to one meeting about careers and guidance.
Personally, I would not accept that. What do they mean "if you want to"?! Given everything that's at stake here, that's a pretty casual line to take.
Reply 10
Hi,

Access courses I am on one too and i agree tutors put you in for exams without covering all topics

i personally admire honesty. are you a mature student, perhasp look into doing a course through Open uni? Unis are picky about points aren't they so the will want you to have level 3 but perhaps just explain whats gone on at your college, some colleges are real rubbish at access courses, read books show them at interview that your taking your learning into your own ahnds but the college are being hopeless, what about a re-sit, i did biology test last week duno if i got even 50% but surly a resit

all the best, keep posting, really hoping for you

take care :smile:
Reply 11
That does seem wrong, we get the chance to resit at least once. I would imagine that is the norm, you can't throw people off a course based on one fail
Reply 12
Original post by Minerva
Personally, I would not accept that. What do they mean "if you want to"?! Given everything that's at stake here, that's a pretty casual line to take.


Her exact words were "you don't need to come in if you don't feel comfortable doing so"

I want to fight this but on the other hand, I feel like I never want to step foot in that place again as long as I live.
I contacted other colleges on friday but all their Access courses are full.
If I went in I would probably start crying and I don't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing what emotional distress they have caused. Right now I just don't know what to do!

Anis001 Yes I am 28!
Reply 13
Original post by Jenna30
Her exact words were "you don't need to come in if you don't feel comfortable doing so"

I want to fight this but on the other hand, I feel like I never want to step foot in that place again as long as I live.
I contacted other colleges on friday but all their Access courses are full.
If I went in I would probably start crying and I don't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing what emotional distress they have caused. Right now I just don't know what to do!

Anis001 Yes I am 28!
I can understand you feeling like that. What are the others doing?

In the end though, it does sound rather like if you don't argue the toss on this one your uni hopes for this year will be over. Is there anyone you can call on to go with you and back you up?
Reply 14
Original post by Minerva
I can understand you feeling like that. What are the others doing?

In the end though, it does sound rather like if you don't argue the toss on this one your uni hopes for this year will be over. Is there anyone you can call on to go with you and back you up?


I know of 1 girl who is arguing her case but i'm not sure about the others as I haven't seen or spoke to them as yet.
I feel my uni hopes are gone already. The most annoying thing is that I had offers on the table just for passes. I'm thinking of emailing the admissions depts at the uni's which have offered me places and asking them their views on what I should do now. I will state that the college hasn't given us the option to resit and see what they say.
I'm hoping that by the time Tuesday comes around I will find the strength to fight this.
Reply 15
Original post by Jenna30

Original post by Jenna30
I know of 1 girl who is arguing her case but i'm not sure about the others as I haven't seen or spoke to them as yet.
I feel my uni hopes are gone already. The most annoying thing is that I had offers on the table just for passes. I'm thinking of emailing the admissions depts at the uni's which have offered me places and asking them their views on what I should do now. I will state that the college hasn't given us the option to resit and see what they say.
I'm hoping that by the time Tuesday comes around I will find the strength to fight this.


Make sure you're not going to be fobbed off with a careers advisor on Tuesday. Phone the college and make a specific appointment with the college director. I'm so sorry to hear you're been treated so unfairly. In all honesty though, universities are going to need the access result and I think you'd be best off not mentioning this to them at all at the moment especially if you're still awaiting an offer from them.
Reply 16
Original post by alibee
Make sure you're not going to be fobbed off with a careers advisor on Tuesday. Phone the college and make a specific appointment with the college director. I'm so sorry to hear you're been treated so unfairly. In all honesty though, universities are going to need the access result and I think you'd be best off not mentioning this to them at all at the moment especially if you're still awaiting an offer from them.


I will be telling them I don't need a bloody careers advisor....what I need is this course!
I've already had the offers and the one uni I really wanted to go to gave me a conditional offer based on just passing the course. The other two uni's that responded also called me for informal interviews. This all happened before the exam mess.
Everything has all gone badly wrong and not just for me, for the others too!
Reply 17
All the best! Try and stand your ground with them :smile:
Reply 18
fight the mickey mouse college to the death that is what i say !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :smile:
Reply 19
sounds very harsh, i did an access course 7 years ago, and to put it bluntly i was awful, i failed a couple of essays, but they just made me re take them and it and it didn't affect my outcome at all. The thing is all i needed was some time to develop academically which is a struggle for mature students (for a number of reasons), it's nothing to do with ability, motivation or effort in a lot of cases, just simply that we need to get back into education. I've just finished my masters degree with quite a good mark (merit for taught and distinction for project), it's shocking that your college have done this, makes me angry actually. Whatever happens don't let it stop you from doing what you want to do.

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