We understand that your child's transition to further education can be a challenging time and that you want to make sure your child studies a valuable course that they’re passionate about.
At the Fashion Retail Academy, we aim to keep you informed at all stages of your child’s journey. We have a range of initiatives to involve you with your child’s learning and development whilst they are studying with us.
Courses designed for careers
The fashion retail landscape is constantly evolving. In the last few years, there’s been a significant move towards digital, and this has led to a major shift in the skills the industry needs. Sustainability, data analytics, digital marketing, social media and content generation skills and knowledge are in high demand.
Because of the FRA's specialist nature and strong relationships with our brand partners, we regularly adapt the courses and curriculum to make sure our graduates leave with the most relevant and in demand skills.
We also recognise the importance of soft skills in the workplace. We make sure our students develop their time management, communication, problem-solving, resilience, tenacity and team building skills alongside their academic studies.
APPLYING TO THE FASHION RETAIL ACADEMY
Your child can apply for one of our diploma courses (Level 2, Level 3, Level 4 or Level 4 Fast Track) through our website. We process applications on a first-come, first-served basis in the order we receive them. We recommend they apply as soon as they can, as our courses fill up quickly and we close applications when the course is fully subscribed. They'll be given either an unconditional or conditional offer, depending on whether they have their final exam results and have met the entry requirements. Their place at the FRA is not secure until they have completed enrolment.
If your child is applying for one of our Undergraduate courses, they'll need to apply through UCAS. The UCAS deadline is usually in January, but we also recommend applying as soon as possible.
For more information about applying to study with us, please visit our Application Process page.
Enrolment
Your child will need to complete their enrolment online.
On Results Day, please make sure your child uploads their grades as soon as they have them. Places are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis and we will close our courses as soon as they are full. They will only be able to enrol when we have their final achieved grades.
We will assess their results and they'll be sent a link to enrol online or asked to await further instructions. If your child doesn’t achieve the entry requirements for their course, we may be able to place them on an alternative, more suitable course. However, we can never guarantee this will be possible in all circumstances.
STARTING TERM
Your child will be sent their timetable after they have enrolled. They'll also need to attend a compulsory Academic Transition Day the week before term starts. This is a great opportunity for them to meet their classmates and make friends, practice travelling to and from the college and get a feel for the Academy.
To encourage a workplace mindset, students will be on “probation” during their first few weeks of term. Whilst we want your child to enjoy their time at the Academy, we have high expectations for attendance, behaviour and attitude, which will be outlined to them at the beginning of term.
OUR STUDY TIMETABLE
The average A-Level student spends around 15 hours a week in the classroom. At the FRA, we carefully plan our timetable to reduce travel time and costs whilst maximising the time when students are on campus. Our central London location makes commuting easy – we’re just a short walk from Moorgate, Liverpool Street Station and Bank tube stations. There are also many bus stops nearby.
- We plan full days for our students, from 9am to 5:30pm, on two days a week, instead of a few hours every day.
- This reduces transport costs and gives our students plenty of time to complete their homework tasks and projects.
- Those requiring additional English and Maths support with have an extra day of timetabled study.
- We expect students to complete one or two days of independent work every week, particularly as coursework deadlines approach.
- We also encourage our students to work part-time alongside their courses, to support their learning with employment experience. We recommend they work no more than three days a week.
Safeguarding & wellbeing
We take the safety of our students extremely seriously. Alongside our safeguarding officers, we have a stringent safeguarding policy which all staff and students must adhere to, supported by regular staff training. We work hard to establish a safe learning environment in which all students can thrive.
We believe that good health and wellbeing is critically important to a successful education, and we make sure all our students can access help and support as quickly as they need it. Our Wellbeing team has experience working with a variety of mental health and learning difficulties, including anxiety, low mood, stress, depression and eating disorders. Learning support covers a wide range of areas such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, hearing and speech impediments.
ABSENCE
We expect all students to achieve 100% attendance during their course, to ensure the required Guided Learning Hours are met. Failure to attend classes puts your child’s qualification and progression onto other courses in jeopardy.
If a student is ill, a doctor’s certificate may be required as evidence of their absence when they return to college.
Doctor, dentist and hospital appointments should be made outside of their timetabled hours to avoid disruption to the study programme.
Students must not leave college without authorisation from their tutor, and doing so may result in disciplinary proceedings.
If your child is ill, expecting to be late to class or cannot attend college for any reason, they must notify us as soon as possible. The student should fill in the form here* providing the following information (*they will need to be logged in with their student email to access the form):
- Name and group number
- College email address
- Name of their lecturer
- Name of their course
- Reason for their absence or lateness
Parents’ evenings
For students under 18, we have an annual Parents’ Evening where you can meet your child’s tutor and discuss their progress. We also have a parent’s consultation service available throughout the year by phone, email or in person meetings.
Bursaries & financial support
We are a charity and provide bursaries above what the Government offers. Please see our Fees & Funding page for more details about the financial support we offer. We cannot advise or approve bursaries until after enrolment.
call OUR APPLICANT SERVICES TEAM
Want to find out more about the Fashion Retail Academy? Speak to a member of our friendly applicant services team who will answer any questions you may have.
