The aim of this page is to provide some answers to the questions parents most often ask as their sons and daughters when joining Palmer's College.  Perhaps the most frequently asked of these is “How does College differ from school?”.  It is fair to say that there is a big jump between School and College and it can be a daunting experience for both students and their parents.  However, at Palmer's College we can reassure parents that the transition from School to College is made with great thought and care.  The College has excellent student support services and outstanding pastoral systems in place to ensure new students fit in and feel supported.

We like to think of College as a 'stepping stone' towards independence, providing opportunities for developing within a structured and supportive framework where students are treated like adults in a warm and welcoming environment.

On a day-to-day basis, the College day runs from 9.00 a.m. to 4.15 pm.  Most of your son/daughter's lessons will consist of three one-hour sessions in the morning and two hour sessions in the afternoon. There are student social and dining areas which are open throughout the day, as well as the library for your use when you do not have lessons. We would expect that students set time aside on a regular basis for homework and recommend they make use of the excellent study support facilities in College in order to complete additional reading or research and generally supplement the work completed in their lessons.

Transport is available to students living in and around Thurrock.  It is generally provided free to those students from Thurrock who live at least three miles from the College. An administrative fee of £180 per year will be charged for the use of College funded transport for students living outside of Thurrock. Details of routes are available. We also have excellent car parking facilities should students wish to drive into College.

Students progress is monitored regularly via progress reports, student review days and parents' evenings.

We have high expectations of our students and work with them on setting targets and reviewing progress towards meeting these targets regularly. Planning towards what they are aiming to do after College is another essential part of their time with us and we encourage students to start this planning early in order to produce strong applications and have the best chances of success.