Student parents
Many students combine their studies at university with having a family. Whether you already have a child or are about to become a parent, here at Keele we are committed to supporting students who are parents. We want to make sure that you can make the most of the opportunities available at Keele whilst balancing university life with your parental responsibilities. Whatever your situation, it is important to let the University know, so that we are able to ensure that you have access to all of the correct support.
Your Student Experience and Support Officer will be your dedicated contact, and they can offer tailored, individual and sustained support prior to arrival and throughout your time as a Keele student.
If you would like support and advice prior to your arrival please get in touch with the support team, who can answer any questions and concerns you may have and can also help to make any arrangements you need to ease your transition to university.
Peer support schemes
Find out more about the diverse peer support schemes at Keele.
Having a family can be rewarding, but juggling your responsibilities as a parent with university study can also be very tiring and place demands on your physical and emotional wellbeing. It is important that you look after yourself as well as your family.
At Keele we offer a range of services to help students who are struggling with personal and emotional issues.
Student welfare
The Student Experience and Support team can offer advice and guidance on a range of different issues that you may face at University. If you would like to speak to an adviser you can contact them by phone, email or live chat. For more information email student.services@keele.ac.uk.
Counselling and mental health
University can be an exciting time but it can also bring with it stress and challenge. The Counselling and Mental Health service can offer you one-to-one support and appointments as well as workshops and group work.
Disability Support & Inclusion
If you have a disability, including specific learning difficulties or mental health and wellbeing issues, the Disability Support & Inclusion Team can advise on a wide range of support to meet your individual needs. It is a good idea to contact the team before you arrive at Keele University to discuss any support you may need.
Keele Health Centre
Keele has its own GP based on the Keele campus. Keele Practice serves the whole of the Keele University Campus, Keele village and certain areas in Newcastle.
For more information or to register as a patient visit www.keelepractice.co.uk
Student Finance
As a student parent, you may be entitled to additional funding to support you during your university studies, including Parents’ Learning Allowance and Childcare Grant if you are eligible for Student Finance.
If you have an adult dependant you may also be able to claim the Adult Dependants’ Grant (ADG). You can apply for additional funding that you may be entitled to via Student Finance England.
Keele Bursaries and Scholarships
The university may also be able to offer additional financial support in the form of bursaries and scholarships. We also offer a Hardship Fund to enable us to offer financial assistance and support to Keele students who are experiencing higher than expected costs, or who find themselves facing serious financial difficulties during their course. For further information please visit Student Financial Support.
Academic mentor
Every student is allocated an academic mentor who is there to support you with both academic and any personal issues that may arise. Students are invited to initial academic mentor meetings when you start your course, and we recommend that you discuss any responsibilities you have which may have an impact of your studies or your ability to attend classes.
Exceptional circumstances
From time to time we understand that you may experience difficulties in keeping up with academic work or with attending classes if problems occur at home. In these cases, you can submit an Exceptional Circumstances form to request another assessment opportunity at a later date.
Timetables
If you have clashes between your timetable and your parental responsibilities you need to discuss this with your academic school to see if it’s possible for alternative options to be put in place. You can also discuss this with your Student Experience and Support Officer if you feel you need additional support in relation to this. It may not always be possible for timetables to be changed, but by talking this through with appropriate staff, other solutions may be available.
Exam arrangements
As a student parent, we understand that you may find it difficult to attend exams scheduled at certain times of the day. Therefore, if due to caring responsibilities you are unable to attend University examinations on a particular day of the week, or at a certain time of day, you should complete a Caring Responsibilities Form and submit this to the Examinations Team. Please see the Student Records and Examinations webpages for further information.
Keele does not have accommodation for families on campus, however we can assist in helping you find suitable off campus accommodation for you and your family.
The ASK advice service at the Students' Union can provide lots of support and information to help you find the right accommodation for you.
Keele Nursery
Here at Keele we offer on campus childcare support at the Keele Day Nursery. For information on nursery fees, booking places and funding please contact the nursery or visit www.keele.ac.uk/nursery. You are encouraged to make an initial enquiry to the nursery as soon as you apply to Keele, as places at our nursery are very popular and can fill up quickly.
T: 01782 733394
Off campus childcare options
To find out about childcare options in the local area please visit: www.childcare.co.uk/
Local schools
You can find out about local primary, secondary and special needs schools by accessing the official database, which provides information on Ofsted reports and school performance.
If you need to take time out of your studies for Maternity or Paternity leave, we have processes in place to support you.
If you are unable to attend teaching due to illness during your pregnancy, please log your absences via the Keele App in the usual way and make use of the 7-day automatic extensions via the EC process.
If you require a short term period of leave after the birth, you can talk to your school about the possibility of arranging this.
For longer term periods of leave there is a Leave of Absence process, which would mean suspending your studies for the remainder of the current academic year and returning for a repeat period the following year, at the start of the required semester. If you would like to discuss your options please contact your Student Experience and Support Officer.
The University supports a safe environment for nursing mothers and has baby changing facilities located centrally on campus within the ground floor Chancellor's Building, Keele Hall and the Students' Union. Private facilities are available throughout campus for breast feeding or milk expressing. Please note that some of these rooms may be located in buildings which requires key card access, so you may wish to contact your School Office for further information and availability. In addition, people are welcome to breast feed their infants across the campus restaurants and cafes.
As a student parent, you will be eligible to apply for a student parking permit. Please see the student parking webpages for further information.
Information about how and when your timetable can be accessed can be viewed on our Student information page.
Contact us
Tel: 01782 734481
Email: student.services@keele.ac.uk