It’s a difficult thing to wave goodbye to your child as they head off to university and their next big adventure.
This might be the first time they’ve had to live independently, cook their own meals, or travel to and from a city far from home. How can you be sure they’ll be happy, healthy, and looked after while at university?
At Newcastle, we're committed to making sure our students are safe and supported - from settling into their accommodation to helping them grow academically, we'll be there for them. Read on to find out more.
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A friendly student city
Newcastle is known for being a friendly student city. One in six people in Newcastle is a student, so your child will be surrounded by like-minds and potential new friends. We were voted the No. 1 city to visit in the world in Rough Guides 2018, and more recently have been ranked among the Top 5 student cities in the UK (QS Best Student Cities 2024).
Our campus is a supportive, safe environment, too. We’ve invested in cross-campus CCTV, security staff on duty across campus at all times, and a SafeZone app – which sets students up with emergency ‘tap’ alerts to first aiders, security, and support staff.
Settling into accommodation
We guarantee accommodation for all our first-year students (eligibility criteria apply). Find out more here. And since going to university is likely to be the first time your child has lived away from home, we work hard to make sure their time with us sets them up with the skills and memories to last forever.
“I lived at Windsor Terrace, which is University-owned accommodation. I would highly recommend this type of accommodation to new students, especially in their first year when you’re getting used to being away from home.” - Matthew, Physics BSc Honours
Each of our student villages - Park View and Kensington/Park - has a dedicated ResLife co-ordinator and assistants who help students settle in during their first year living away from home. Our teams foster a sense of belonging, community, friendship, and independence, working with our Students’ Union, Sport, Wellbeing and other teams, to offer a programme of social events and life skills sessions.
Making friends
Our Students’ Union is at the heart of campus and is the hub of student life. With over 180 richly diverse societies and 60+ sports clubs to join, your child will soon be making new friends.
Our Induction Programme is also designed to help students settle into University life with us as they meet classmates and the staff who’ll support them on their journey.
Dedicated to student wellbeing
Students are at the forefront of everything we do, and we’ve invested millions in our support services.
We do everything we can to give students the best experience possible while they’re with us. Through our Student Services hub at King’s Gate, students can access coordinated support and information about accommodation, careers, academic support, student finance, visa support, and more.
That offer includes free and confidential Wellbeing support, including counselling, mental health support and disability and specialist learning support.
Our Students’ Union also hosts a dedicated Student Advice Centre where students can book an appointment to talk confidentially to someone about housing, academic worries, finance, personal issues, or anything else that's worrying them.
Although we use the terms parent/child in this blog for simplicity, it is intended for anyone fulfilling a parenting role.
