Policies

Procedures

• Bookings can be made through our website, by email, in person or by telephone

• Bookings are accepted through agents and from students contacting the school directly

• A deposit of £100 is required to confirm enrolment for individuals

• A deposit of £50 per student is required to secure the places on a group booking

• Full payment of fees is required by the invoice due date

• Courses are subject to availability. If unavailable an alternative date will be offered.

• The Enrolment form should be completed with care taken to read the conditions of enrolment on the reverse.

• For juniors the Parental Consent Form must be completed and sent back

• Please refer to the Payment of Fees Policy for information on students requiring visas.

• The Covid risk assessment must be signed off by the student or for juniors the parents or legal guardian

Entry Requirements

• Students taking the Cambridge First Certificate Examination should be of intermediate level

• Students taking the Cambridge Advanced Examination should be of advanced level

• Students taking the Cambridge Proficiency Examination should be of higher advanced level

• Students taking the English Plus courses should be of intermediate plus level

• A placement test to assess the level of the student will be given prior to the commencement of the course

• Minimum ages are as follows:
  • Summer Activity Course: 12 years old
  • Group Bookings: 12 years old
  • General and Cambridge Courses: 16 years old (permission will be requested from parents of 16/17 year olds to enable them to attend lessons / activities with adults)

SIMPLIFIED VERSION

We take the safeguarding and welfare of all children, vulnerable adults and young people, very seriously at the school.

Students can join us from the age of 12 years upwards and we offer full board homestay accommodation.

Safeguarding

We take the safeguarding and welfare of all children, vulnerable adults and young people, very seriously at the school.

Students can join us from the age of 12 years old and we offer them all full board homestay accommodation. Our safeguarding for juniors will also apply to students aged 16 and 17 who are enrolled on adult courses . There will be certain activities not available to them such as pub evenings, but with parent’s agreement they will be allowed to join in most activities offered to our adult students. So, although they are able to enrol on an adult course they will still be considered as juniors.

Unsupervised time

If you do not agree to your child having free time between the end of classes / activities and dinner time then they must return directly to the homestay or in some circumstances return to the school until it closes at 5pm. If you do not agree to your child going out after dinner or on a Sunday then they must stay with their homestay provider.

 All staff at the school and the homestays are Police checked and inspected by the school every two years.

On your first day you will have an induction with the Principal to tell you all about the school and your course. This will also cover the fire drill and who to go and see in case of problems. Your homestay provider will bring you to school and pick you up at the end of your first day to show you the route.

You will be given a pack with details of your programme, a wristband to wear and ID cards with contact details of the school and of your homestay provider which must be carried at all times.
You will also be offered a separate room away from adults for your break and at lunch times.

The Safeguarding Team at the school is available to help all students with their problems.
If you need help or advice you are free to speak to any adult in the school as everyone is trained to be able to help you.

If you are ill or unable to attend class your homestay will inform the school of your absence.

You will not normally be allowed out in the evening but if your parents grant permission the curfew times set down by the school are:

12 – 13 years of age: 20.00
14 – 15 years of age: 21.00
16 – 17 years of age: 22.00

 Please also refer to the following Policies:

Data Protection Policy
Privacy Statement

Principles

The school is committed to providing clear lines of communication for students to voice complaints

The school will make every effort possible to resolve any complaints received by the students during their stay

Procedures

Any student wishing to make a complaint regarding any aspect of the school should in the first instance address his or her complaint to the Principal/Director of Studies

The Principal/Director of Studies will make every effort to understand the grounds of the complaint

The complaint will be passed on to the relevant person/department to be addressed

Where possible, action will be taken to resolve the complaint and where necessary procedures will be amended to satisfy the complaint

Where no action is taken, the student making the complaint will be advised of the reasons for this

A full record of the complaint, and any action taken, will be kept by the Principal/Director of Studies in the complaints file

In the event of a matter being unresolved an external independent adjudicating panel would be set up with a legal representative and English UK support member.

The Customer Charter aims to improve access to the Suzanne Sparrow Plymouth Language School Services and to improve quality.
The Charter informs customers of the standards of service to expect AND what action to take if anything goes wrong.

The Charter is reviewed and updated on a yearly basis.

Standards of Service

The Suzanne Sparrow Plymouth Language School is committed to promoting a positive learning environment amongst its students and staff.
The school provides a safe, caring educational environment with close adherence to welfare and safeguarding regulations.

Mission statement
We at the Suzanne Sparrow(Plymouth) Language School run a friendly and welcoming school, providing high quality English tuition and accommodation with our carefully chosen homestay providers. We strive to ensure all our students have an inspirational and educational stay, helping them to achieve their individual goals, in a safe and caring environment.

Complaints

The school makes every effort possible to resolve any complaints received by the students and homestay providers within 24 hours.
Any student wishing to make a complaint should address the complaint to the Director of Studies or the Principal who will ensure the complaint is passed to the relevant person/department to be addressed.
Where possible action will be taken to resolve the complaint and where necessary procedures will be amended to satisfy the complaint.
Where no action is taken the student will be advised of the reason for this.
A full record of the complaint and any action taken will be kept by the Director of Studies or the Principal in the complaints file.
In the event of a matter being unresolved an external independent adjudicating panel would be set up with a legal representative and English UK support member.

Contacts

All enquiries and bookings by e mail at study@sparrow.co.uk
Website www.sparrow.co.uk

By surface mail to Suzanne Sparrow Plymouth Language School
Barncroft, 72–74 North Road East, Plymouth,
Devon PL4 6AL
Tel +44 1752 222700

Assurance - Fair Service

The school strives to maintain a learning environment for its students in which honesty, integrity and respect are constantly reflected in personal behaviour and standards of conduct.
The well-being, development and progress of students are of primary importance.
The school promotes a learning environment which is completely free from bullying and demonstrates respect for diversity and equality.

Legislation

The school is accredited by The British Council and is a member of English UK. Inspections are carried out by the British Council.

Behaviour: A student may be requested to leave his or her course if their behaviour is deemed to interfere with other students’ learning, or with their experience at the Suzanne Sparrow (Plymouth) Language School. In such circumstances, the student will be issued with a written warning that if their behaviour persists their course will no longer be available.

Serious Misconduct: In the case of an incident of behaviour that is deemed to be serious and that brings the school into disrepute the student will be asked to leave the school immediately. Arrangements will be made in such circumstances to repatriate the student. Any repatriation costs will NOT be covered by the school. Examples of such behaviour may include violation of criminal statutes through:

• Substance Abuse (drugs, alcohol)
• Sexual Misconduct
• Theft
• Aggressive Behaviour
• Bullying
• Vandalism
• Racism
• Where a student behaves inappropriately during a lesson or social activity, or in the care of their homestay provider, or at any other time whilst they are the responsibility of the Suzanne Sparrow Plymouth Language School they will be requested to attend a meeting with the Principal/Director of Studies and a member of the safeguarding team to explain their behaviour. Targets for improved behaviour will be clearly set out. Minutes of the meeting will be taken and a copy sent to parents/agent/sponsor as appropriate. A copy will also be kept in the Disciplinary file. The copy of the meeting minutes will constitute a first warning.

• When a student fails to meet their agreement, the student will be asked to attend a meeting with the Principal/Director of Studies and a member of the safeguarding team. Where it is likely that an improvement in behaviour can be achieved, the meeting will result in further targets being written agreed. A copy of the targets will be sent to parents/agent/sponsor. This constitutes the final warning.
• If a student continues to cause concern, the school can recommend permanent or temporary exclusion.
• The student will have the right of appeal to the Chairman against any recommendation for permanent exclusion or suspension.
  Where a student is excluded from school due to persistent bad behaviour, no refund of fees will be given.

Gross Misconduct

• Where students are alleged to have committed an act of Gross Misconduct (i.e. bullying, stealing, sexual harassment etc.) the school reserves the right to immediately exclude the student.

• Where a student is excluded from school due to Gross Misconduct, no refund of fees will be given.

• Where a visa into the country has been obtained on the basis of the student’s attendance at the school, the embassy in question and the Home Office will be notified of the decision.

Principles

• The school is committed to promoting a learning environment which is completely inclusive for all students.

Procedures

• The Director of Studies (DOS) and the Health and Safety Officer are informed by office staff of the arrival date of any student with learning difficulties or a disability, which has been indicated on the enrolment form.

   

• The DOS informs the teacher and arranges for the needs of the student to be met: training is provided for teachers to assist them in dealing with these situations.

   

• In the case of a disability, adequate provision is made ie use of ramps for wheelchair access, choice of suitable classroom and access to toilet facilities.

   

• In the case of learning difficulties the teacher is provided with the necessary learning tools to aid that difficulty ie large printed work sheets for the partial sighted.

   

• Where necessary a helper will be provided to assist with supported learning.

   

• The accommodation team inform the homestay provider of the needs of the student and will provide assistance if required especially regarding the travel to and from school.

Students wishing to study in the UK will need a valid passport to enter the country.

Depending on where they were born or live and length of study, students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland will also need a visa (official permit) to study in England. If you are unsure if you need a Visa, please visit this website to check https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa

Visa Types

Short-Term Study Visa

For students who want to study a short course in the UK and will not work while they are here. A Short-Term Study Visa allows the student to study for up to 6 months or 11 months if you’re 16 or over and taking an English Language Course. A Short-Term Study Visa does NOT allow the student to work alongside their studies, have access to public funds or bring family members (“dependants”) with you – they must apply seperately. You can not renew your Short-Term Study Visa in the UK. For more information please check this website https://www.gov.uk/study-visit-visa/eligibility

Standard Visitor Visa

For adults who would just like to visit the UK for leisure, holiday to visit family and friends and to study is not the main reason to visit you can apply for the Standard Visitor Visa. Once in the UK if you decide to take a short English Language Course, you can study for up to 30 days. For more information please check this website https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor-visa/eligibility

Standard Visitor Visa Under 18

If you are under 18 you can apply for a Standard Visitor Visa if

• You have made suitable arrangements for your travel and stay in the UK
• You have consent from your parent or guardian to travel to the UK
• You are able to pay for your return or onward journey
• You have enough money to support yourself without working or getting help from public funds, or you have family and friends that can support you

 You can travel alone to the UK without an adult (someone over the age of 18), your parent or guardian will need to provide their:

• Written consent for you to travel to the UK
• Full contact details
• The name, address and date of birth of the person that you will be staying with
• Details of your relationship to the person who will be looking after you and their consent in writing so they can look after you during your stay in the UK

 Please check here for further information on travelling with an adult (someone over the age of 18) https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor-visa/if-youre-under-18

How to apply

Guidelines on how to apply for visas can be found on the following website:

https://www.gov.uk/apply-to-come-to-the-uk

Enrolment Policy

In order to enrol a student requiring a Visa, we require the following information:

• Exact dates of study
• Copies of passport
• Completed enrolment form
• A deposit of 25% of the full course fees is required to confirm the enrolment of the student.

 Upon receipt of the deposit a letter confirming the student’s enrolment will be issued. The student can then use this letter to assist their visa application.

 Fees will be refunded if the applicant is unsuccessful (less a non-refundable deposit of £100).

 Sponsored Students

Sponsored students will need to provide us with a Financial Letter of Guarantee from their Sponsor / Embassy before they can start studying with us. (FLG)

During the student’s stay

Passports and visas are checked and photocopied upon arrival. All of the required contact details are obtained from the student (as per our Admissions Policy) upon arrival. Students are asked to advise the office of any changes in contact details.

Attendance is monitored throughout the student’s stay and the UKVI is notified of any sustained period of absence.

 Useful references

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration

Procedures

• Cancellation of a course by an individual will result in the loss of their £100 non-refundable deposit.
• Cancellation of a student within a group is accepted if notification is given at least 7 days prior to arrival. In this case the fees for the cancelled student will be refunded less the £50 non-refundable deposit.
• No refund will be given for the cancellation of a student within a group where less than 7 days’ notice is given. Where exceptional circumstances are evident a refund may be given at the school’s discretion.
• Cancellation of a whole group more than 2 weeks before arrival will result in the loss of the group deposit (£50 per student)
• Cancellation of a whole group less than two weeks before arrival will result in a 25% cancellation fee.
• Once a course has commenced no refund can be made for leaving before the end of the course. Where exceptional circumstances are evident a refund may be given at the school’s discretion.Procedure for HomestayIf an individual student wishes to leave the homestay provider before the end of their stay, one week’s notice must be given. If this is not possible a penalty of £50 will be imposed for repayment of the homestay provider.

  If a student wishes to remain with their home stay provider during the Christmas Period, the student will be charged as follows:

  £35 per night (24th Dec – 2nd Jan)

  £25 per night outside of these dates

  £12.50 per night across the Christmas break, if the student is not in the home but wishes to retain their room

The Suzanne Sparrow (Plymouth) Language School is committed to making sure that the privacy of our data subjects is protected. This privacy statement explains what information we collect, how we use this information, how our data subjects can tell us if they prefer to limit the use of their information and the procedures that we have in place to safeguard their privacy.

We collect information from the following data subjects:

• Students and their next-of-kin (emergency contacts)
• Homestay Providers
• Personnel (teaching and admin staff)
• Agents/School Groups

We collect personal information:

• To help students to enrol for our courses and send them the information
  they need to attend. We require the following information, as a minimum:
  • full name
  • date of birth
  • nationality and first language
  • address
  • email
  • mobile phone
  • gender
  • emergency contact details
  • passport details
  • we will need more information for different services, such as arranging accommodation or arrival/departure transfers.
• To help homestay providers work with us. The minimum information we
  need from homestays to provide accommodation is:
  • full name
  • date of birth
  • nationality and first language
  • address
  • email
  • mobile phone
  • gender
  • passport details (or alternative ID, such as a driving licence)
  • DBS number and date (where applicable)
• To engage teaching or admin staff. The minimum information we need is:
  • full name
  • date of birth
  • nationality and first language
  • address
  • email
  • mobile phone
  • gender
  • passport details (or alternative ID, such as a driving licence)
  • bank account details
  • national insurance number
  • DBS number
  • degree and teaching qualification details
  • reference details
• To help agents and school groups to work with us. The minimum
  information we need is:
  • full name
  • organisation name (where relevant)
  • address
  • email
  • mobile phone
  • bank account details (where relevant)

Our Privacy Promise:

• We will make sure that we have appropriate data security measures in place.
• We will make sure that our partners have appropriate data security measures in place
• We will respect privacy. Students and agents will only receive marketing emails from us, if they opt in to receive marketing material from us.
• We will collect and use personal information only if we have permission or we need to collect enough information to process a student's enrolment, engage a member of staff or engage a homestay.
• We will be clear about what information we will collect and how we will use it.
• We will use personal information only for the purposes for which it was originally collected.
• If a data subject would like us to check, change or erase their data, they may do so at any time, provided that it does not affect our legal or contractual obligations.

What information we collect and how we use it:

We collect information:

• When students enrol for a course
• When homestay providers, agents and school groups work with us
• When we engage teaching or admin staff
• Through cookies on our website (anonymous data)

Legal Bases

• Contract
  • Students or their agents give us data to process an enrolment so that we can provide a service to them.
  • Homestay providers give us data so that we can place students in accommodation with them.
• Vital Interest
  • Emergency contact information
• Legal Obligation
  • Passport, DBS, visa information
• Legitimate Interest
  • We may give student and/or homestay information to our teachers, admin staff, homestays, transfer providers, social & programmes organiser, agents and other subcontractors to make sure that the services which form part of our contract can be delivered.
• Consent
  • Any secondary processing of data (contacting students after their course to give follow-up information or market courses or contacting agents/school groups). This means we will not send communications unless specifically agreed.

We will always make it as easy as possible for our data subjects to choose not to allow us to use their data, providing it does not prevent us from giving them the service requested or undertaking the agreed contract.

How long do we keep data?
We will hold information for 7 years after a student's course has finished/an employee contract has ended/a homestay relationship or agent/school group relationship has ended. After this time, the data is managed to make sure that it is either erased from our system or minimised and kept for legal reasons.

What anonymous statistical data do we keep?
We collect statistics from our website, so we can monitor how people use it, and so we can develop our services. These statistics do not include information that can be used to identify an individual. We also collect statistics from our student and agent database so that we can analyse our student bookings. These statistics are reported to English UK and the British Council, however, they do not include information that can be used to identify an individual.

How can I check, correct, limit or erase use of my information?
You can check, correct, instruct us to limit or erase any personal information we might hold about you. You can also ask us to provide all the information we hold on you.

Who do you share my data with?
We may share your personal information in response to government requests, to operate our systems properly and to protect both us and our users. Any other organisations who have access to personal information while providing services on our behalf will be governed by strict contractual restrictions to make sure that they protect your information and keep to data protection and privacy laws which apply (see above legal bases for collecting and holding data). We may also independently audit these service providers to make sure that they meet our standards.

How we protect your information
The safety of any data sent via online communications technology, such as email, cannot be guaranteed. When your personal information reaches us, however, it is stored securely and confidentially in accordance with GDPR.

Google Analytics cookies
These first-party cookies are used for anonymously tracking visits to our website. No personally identifiable information is stored and the data is not shared with other domains. We use Google Analytics for anonymous reporting of our website usage. If
you would like to opt-out of Google Analytics monitoring your behaviour on our website, please use this link https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

Preference cookie (accept_cookies_en)

This first party cookie contains only the word "yes" and flags your acceptance of
cookies on our website in general (as indicated by your continued use of
www.sparrow.co.uk).

For more information about cookies and managing them, including how to turn them off, please visit please see www.allaboutcookies.org

By using our website, you are agreeing to the use of cookies as described above.

Changes to the privacy policy
Any changes to our Privacy Policy will be detailed here. If these changes are significant, we may also email relevant people with new details. If we are required by law, we will obtain your consent to make these changes

1. The Principal as the employer recognises that the school has a duty of care towards its staff, both teaching and non-teaching and its students and members of the public (such as visitors who may use the premises).
   • This duty which is set out under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 will be discharged through the offices of the Principal, Director of Studies and the Health and Safety Officer.
2. To meet this duty the Principal expects senior members of staff and certain nominated persons to regard health and safety as at least as important as any other duty and not as an extra.  Members of staff who identify any practical conflict between health and safety and other priorities must bring this to the attention of the Principal, Director of Studies or Health and Safety Officer.
3. The Principal will be responsible for ensuring compliance with Suzanne Sparrow Plymouth Language School Health and Safety Policy.  The Principal has appointed a Health & Safety Officer to coordinate and oversee the school’s Health and Safety Policy with the assistance of the Director of Studies on matters relating to the premises and plant.
4. The Health and Safety Officer/Principal, will keep abreast and up-to-date on health and safety issues and will generally circulate relevant information to the teaching staff.
5. Members of staff will be given training (either in-service or on external courses), where necessary to complement their knowledge and experience in respect of special health and safety risks.
6. This Policy will not be effective unless all staff co-operate with the Principal, Director of Studies and Health and Safety Officer, in taking every practicable precaution to protect their own health and safety and that of students and other persons affected by those activities.
7. Members of staff owe a special duty of care to students, especially teaching staff who may also be in the position of “Loco-parentis”.  This duty can only be discharged by careful attention to the way in which they plan and supervise teaching periods, field trips and practical studies etc.
8. All accidents, whether to students, teaching or non-teaching staff are to be entered in the Accident book in the school Office.
9. The Principal and Senior Members of Staff are aware that the activities of students and employees may affect the external environment and will pay full regard to the implications of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 - taking particular notice of the duty of care in respect of waste.
10. Written Risk Assessments will be maintained of the risks to the health and safety of students and employees whilst they are on the school’s premises and grounds as required by the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992.  It is the Health and Safety Officer’s responsibility for all activities associated directly with the school.  Other members of staff will be responsible for assessments for activities they organise and run (extra-curricular activities, sports, a visit etc.)  A Risk Assessment form is on the following pages.
11. This Policy will be regularly reviewed and new or unusual hazards will be communicated to all affected persons.