Application Process

A digital version of our prospectus is available for immediate download (see bottom of this page) or order a hard copy by post using the form below. If you are a student at one of our partner or link schools, a copy of the prospectus should be available from your head of year or careers team.

Request printed copy of prospectus

Normally, open evenings take place on the Wednesday and Thursday evenings immediately preceding the autumn half-term holiday.

This is an opportunity to visit the college, meet our staff and students, view our facilities, pick up a new prospectus and find out more about the courses that we offer. Please see our 'Announcements' box on the homepage for details as they emerge.

The college offers two programmes of study:

• A Levels
• Advanced Foundation Programme (GCSE+).

In addition to the above, the college also provides a number of Additional Studies courses. Details of all of these courses can be found in the "Courses" section of this site.

Applications are made online via the college website.

This works on an annual cycle: Applications open immediately after the October Open Evenings and close at the end of January, for entry the following September.

When applications are open, please use the "Apply Now" page to make an online application.

Carefully complete the various sections in the form, giving as much detail as you can. You should apply for just one of the two programmes of study (i.e. A Levels or Advanced Foundation Programme). If you are unsure which to apply for, please do not be concerned, as if your choice later proves unsuitable, this can be changed as part of our interview process.

When applying for A Level courses, please note that we ask you to select four courses. This does not necessarily mean that you will be offered a place on four courses: the majority of students will take three, but selecting four gives us a broader range of options with which to start our discussions.  

When you have applied, if you realise that you have made a mistake please DO NOT submit a second application as this can cause confusion. You should email the Admissions Office and explain the changes that you wish to make. 

Contact:   Admissions Team Email    

Please do keep in touch and let us know if there are any factors that change in relation to your application, such as a change of address or examination entries or if there are significant health or other issues which affect your examinations. 

Contact:   Admissions Team Email    

The majority of our interviews take place by phone between November and March.

You will be asked to email your personal statement to admissions@colchsfc.ac.uk prior to your interview.

The personal statement should outline your main achievements both in and out of school and your current career plans, including any university course ideas.

Personal Statement Guidelines

First Priority Applicants are all those who live within the priority admission area of the college irrespective of which school they attend and those who attend college partner or link schools. They are likely to be offered places following an interview, if we can offer an appropriate course for which the student expects to be qualified.

For details regarding your application status, please see the college admissions policy at the foot of this page.

If you live outside the priority admission area of the college and do not attend one of the first priority schools, any offer of a place will be posted to you by Mid-March. Please note the college expects to be oversubscribed in this category, but we will nevertheless endeavour to help as many "out of area" applicants as possible - in some subject areas we are hopeful that we will be able to offer places to as many as 80-90% of applicants.

For details regarding your application status, please see the college admissions policy at the foot of this page.

All successful applicants will be invited to an induction day at college, after exams end in June. Information and dates of our induction days will be included in successful applicant's offer letters.

The aims of induction are as follows:

• To provide students with an exciting introduction to the college and its provision.
• To introduce students to their personal tutor, to other members of the tutor group, to relevant subject staff and senior staff.
• To give students a more detailed, personal introduction to the academic courses open to them and to record any changes of course.
• To provide up-to-date information relating to the curriculum.
• To introduce students to the range and variety of Additional Studies courses and wider college activities.
• To inform students regarding student assistance fund and bus and train passes.
• To confirm the arrangements for enrolment in early September.
• To give students an awareness of our expectations of them.

College staff are available on GCSE results day to talk to those who wish to discuss their results. Please find further details on our GCSE Results Day Guidance page. 

The dates of the enrolment days are given in successful applicant's offer letters. 

As enrolment approaches, there will be a number of email communications sent to applicants regarding the details of the enrolment process. At this point, it will also be useful for students to check our Enrolment Information Page for further details.