We want you to get the best out of your course, so when you are studying with us we expect you to do the following:
- Be on time for your lessons
- Call us when you cannot come to class
- Be polite and friendly to staff and other learners
- Contribute to discussions and evaluations about your work
- Tell us if your personal circumstances change e.g. if you move house or change telephone numbers
In return, you can expect from us to:
- Start and end your lessons on time
- Respect your values and beliefs
- Give you feedback on your learning and how you are doing in class
- Tell you about any changes at the Friends Centre that might affect you
- Inform you when a class has been cancelled
Learner Behaviour
We have a policy about learner behaviour in class. If a learner’s behaviour is disruptive (rude, aggressive or violent), they may be asked to leave the course.
General Rules
Please adhere to these general rules while you are studying with us:
- No smoking inside the building, we have smoking areas outside both our buildings
- Either switch off your mobile phones during lessons or put them on silent
- Keep Friends Centre clean and tidy
- Respect all other learners’ values and beliefs
Attendance and Punctuality
You are expected to attend 85% or more of your classes. If you are unable to attend a class then please contact our reception on 01273 810210 or email us at to inform us you will not be attending. If you know in advance that you are going to miss a session then you must inform your tutor with as much notice as possible.
To enable Friends Centre to run courses, you must attend all classes you are enrolled on. The funding that we receive is based on your attendance and what you achieve. If you have poor attendance, withdraw from classes, or do not sit an exam which has been arranged for you then we will receive less funding in future years. Therefore, we will review your attendance when it comes to re-enrolments and if you are under 85%, you will be placed on our waiting lists rather than being given priority.
Call-in Times for Non-attendance:
For morning classes – Please call by 9.45am on the day of your class
For afternoon classes – Please call by 12.30pm on the day of your class
For evening classes – Please call by 4.00pm on the day of your class
Brighton Junction – 01273 810210
Ivory Place – 01273 679736
When calling the centre please give your full name, the name and time of your class or classes and who your tutor is. If no one answers the phone, then please leave a message with the same detail on our answer machine.
Learner Details
The Friends Centre collects information about all its staff and learners for various administrative, academic and health and safety reasons. Because of the Data Protection Act 1998, we need your consent before we can do this, and you will have signed to agree to this on your enrolment form.
How We Use Your Personal Information
The personal information you provide is passed to the Skills Funding Agency, and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Where necessary it is also shared with the Department for Education, including the Education Funding Agency.
The information is used for the exercise of functions of these government departments and to meet statutory responsibilities, including under the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, and to create and maintain a unique learner number (ULN) and a personal learning record (PLR). The information you provide may be shared with other organisations for education, training, employment and well-being related purposes, including for research.
You may be contacted by the English European Social Fund (ESF) Managing Authority, or its agents, to carry out research and evaluation to inform the effectiveness of the programme.
Each learner has a unique learner number (ULN), which can be used to access your personal record with the Learner Record Services. This enables you to see your history of qualifications taken. You are able to request your ULN from reception with a form of identification and check your record at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-privacy-notice.
Certificates
It is essential you inform us if your address changes at any time. Once we have received your certificates it will be posted to you if you have paid the £10 certificate admin fee. So, if your address changes please update us by emailing.
British Values at Friends Centre
At Friends Centre we actively promote British Values and acknowledge their place in our own expectations, vision and values.
Friends Centre is committed to being an adult education organisation where people can develop their knowledge, skills, understanding and creativity in a supportive environment.
Through our learning programmes we aim to:
- Help learners achieve aspirations and meet challenges
- Stimulate community interest and civic involvement
- Promote tolerance, social justice, environmental sustainability and international understanding.
This means that we encourage open and honest discussions in classes to help learners understand alternative points of view.
The government recently introduced a law to make it compulsory for places such as schools, colleges and hospitals to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and as part of this set out its definition of British Values. The Department of Education and Ofsted also actively seek to ensure that British Values are included in the teaching of programmes across the country.
The four definitions of British Values are as follows:
- Democracy (your opinion counts)
- The rule of Law (no one is above the law; laws protect everyone; innocent until proven guilty)
- Individual liberty and mutual respect (freedom of speech)
- Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs (in regards to all backgrounds, culture, age, genders and sexualities)
As a Friends Centre learner you have rights and responsibilities and as part of that it is your responsibility to respect others’ values and beliefs to ensure we have a safe learning environment for all. In return you can expect all Friends Centre staff to respect your values and beliefs.
British Values in class and at Friends Centre are promoted in the following way:
Democracy
- Discussions and debates are had and encouraged in class
- Learner evaluations are carried out at the end of the course
- Learner feedback is asked for throughout the course to develop the course further
- Resources in class show different cultures and groups in society
The Rule of Law
- Rights & Responsibilities of a Learner per our Learner Handbook or here on our website
- General Rules as laid out in our Learner Handbook
- An Induction at the start of a course
- Learner Agreement
- Friends Centre’s Policies and Procedures
- Discuss ground rules that set boundaries as a class
- Respect others values and beliefs
- Remember: Everyone is protected by the Equality Act 2010
Individual Liberty & Mutual Respect
- Be welcomed into the class
- Study in a safe and supportive learning environment
- Inappropriate behaviour or comments are challenged
- Your view is listened to
- Listen to others views
- Learners are encouraged to be an individual
- Friends Centre has the following Policies: Safeguarding & Prevent; Equality & Diversity; Learner Management
- Learner success is celebrated annually at our awards evening
Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs
- Respect others values and beliefs
- Our Equality & Diversity Policy reflects this (please see here)
- Our Learner Management Policy reflects this (please see here)
- Discussions of faiths and beliefs in class
- Resources in class show different cultures, religions and groups in society
- Respect everyone’s choice of dress, including all religious faith clothing
- Promotion of national events and celebrations
Feeling Safe and Supported at Friends Centre
Safer Learning at Friends Centre
You have the right to feel safe and supported where you learn. Other people should not hurt, bully or abuse you.
Your responsibilities are:
- to be polite and friendly to staff and other learners
- to respect other people’s rights and safety
- to respect other people’s values and beliefs
- not to hurt or abuse others
- not to threaten to hurt or abuse others
- not to treat people badly because of their age, disability, gender, ethnicity, religion or choice of partner
If you are worried about any of this or have concerns about yourself or someone else, you can speak to your tutor or to Emily-Jane (EJ) Birtwell or Helen Osborne, who are responsible for Safeguarding and Prevent Duty at Friends Centre.
Emily-Jane (EJ) Birtwell
Centre Manager
Helen Osborne
Principal
EJ and Helen work at our Brighton Junction Office. Please telephone 01273 810210 or ask at Reception.
Our first priority is that ALL Friends Centre learners feel safe and happy.
Prevent Duty and violent extremism, radicalisation and terrorism
While extremism itself is not illegal, we encourage you to be aware of potential signs of it, because it can act as a pathway to terrorism, create or raise concerns in the classroom, and divide communities.