Learners, their work and studies

Policy

This policy covers matters relating to learners, their studies and in vocational studies, their work role. These include:

Appropriate behaviour Attendance, keeping appointments, and meeting deadlines Vocational learners in the setting Study references

Procedures explain what will happen if learners’ behaviour falls below acceptable standards.

If you are viewing this document on a computer you can click on these links to open these sections:

Appropriate behaviourWhat will happen if you break the rules?Explaining the basic ground rulesAttendance, keeping appointments, and meeting deadlinesVocational learners in the settingStudy References

Review July 2015

Appropriate behaviourIf you are lucky enough to work with children and families you have a duty to behave well.

This policy will explain how we expect you to behave while you are learning in class and at work caring for children. It will also explain what will happen if you don’t behave well.

Why is this important?

Bad, inappropriate or rude behaviour1 can be upsetting and frightening to children and their families;

Children might think that this behaviour is OK, and this could lead to them getting into trouble themselves or coming to harm.

Children need to see adults behaving well so that they can learn to behave well too. Even if you regard yourself as still young, to a young child you are a grown up.

As a learner you need to behave well in class because:

It is a work place. You need to behave as well in the classroom as you would at work.

Good behaviour leads to good learning for you and for other learners.

Your tutor expects you to behave well and she or he will take action if you do not.

Our basic ground rules

Show respect for others Respect confidentiality Show self respect Show kindness to others Help keep the classroom a healthy

and safe place Be dedicated to your studies Be an honest learner

To be a successful learner you must make these things your priority:

Arrive for your learning sessions, on time and ready to study,

Be fully prepared for your workplace assessment appointments, and

Make sure that you submit your evidence for assessment on time to meet deadlines

We expect you to attend and take part in at least 80% of learning sessions. Class registers record all attendance, including late arrival and early departure from sessions.

All evidence for assessment must be submitted by the last learning session of a course.

Unless mobile phones are being used as part of learning activities they should be turned off or switched to silent during learning sessions. Make sure that social communications do not distract your studies.

Bullying or intimidating behaviour towards anyone is unacceptable. This includes face-to-face bullying, or by phone, by text or on social networks, for example on Facebook or Twitter.

1 There are many forms of unacceptable, inappropriate, rude or bad behaviour. They would include swearing, spitting, throwing objects, displays of anger or violence, using a loud voice or shouting, texting secretly in class.

Tutors will help learners to develop this set of rules for each learning group.

What will happen if you break the rules?

If you behave badly your tutor will warn you and expect you to improve.

Suspension – If you have behaved badly you may be asked not to attend classes for up to 14 days while this is investigated.

Depending on how serious the behaviour is, and how many times this has happened, you may be given a:

verbal warning, second verbal warning, or final written warning.

A record of bad behaviour and warnings will be kept.

A signed commitment – if you have behaved badly you may be asked to sign a commitment to not do so again. An action plan may be written to help you to meet the behaviour standards we require.

You may be advised to seek counselling, or medical advice and support.

Where incidents of bad behaviour are serious or keep happening, or you fail to keep your commitment you will either be:

Required to leave the programme – you will leave the course. Any unpaid fees must be paid. You will be given advice on how you can find another training provider or careers advice, or

Excluded – you will leave the course. Any unpaid fees must be paid. Your employer or host setting will be told that you have been excluded. If we receive a request for a study reference, the facts about your behaviour will be given. If you may have broken the law, we will report this to the Police.

The Alliance will be fair, keep to the principles of natural justice and will only exclude a learner in very serious circumstances. It aims to act in the best interests of all.

What will happen if you are the victim of bad behaviour?You will be listened to. The Alliance will do all in its power to help you and protect you from harm while studying.

AppealsIf you are excluded or are required to leave the programme you can appeal against this action to a panel.

The panel will be made up of the Director of Quality Improvement and one other of the Senior Management Team member not involved in the original decision.

Details of how to appeal will be provided to you on request at the time of the original decision.

Learners who receive a warning may not appeal to the panel.

Explaining the basic ground rules

Rules ExamplesShow respect for others

- Listen to what others say, without interrupting and think about what they say.

- Not chatting to your neighbour while another learner or the tutor is talking.

- Think about what others say. Although they may have different opinions to you, their ideas should be respected.

- Not taking mobile phone calls during a class session.

Show self respect

- Not being honest with yourself about finding time to do homework.

Show kindness to others

- Listen to people who need a friend to talk to.

Help keep the classroom a healthy and safe place

- Tell the tutor about any risky things that you notice, such as a patch of spilled water on the floor

- Don’t damage the classroom or the building where you have classes.

Be dedicated to your studies

- Tell your tutor about any difficulties or disabilities you have, so that he or she can help.

- Ask for help if you need it.- Take part in discussions. - Read and think about the subjects you are studying.- Think about how you do your work and how you can provide the best

childcare.- Do your homework and hand it in or upload on time.- Turn up to classes on time, every time.- Be a reliable employee or volunteer who turns up for work on time

and as agreed.

Be an honest learner

- If you use the words written by another person in your own written work always make this clear. Put the words in quotation marks. Make a note of which book or website you used at the end of that piece of work.

- Tell the truth. Don’t invent reasons for going home early from class when you don’t really need to.

Attendance, keeping appointments, and meeting deadlines

Attendance at learning sessionsMissing learning sessions, arriving late and leaving early can be a sign that a learner is experiencing difficulties. If a learner’s attendance is poor her or his tutor will discuss this with them, and make a plan to improve attendance. This will be reported to the course manager. If attendance continues to be poor this will be reported to the Training Manager.

Our data shows that, on long programmes learners who develop poor attendance patterns are at risk of withdrawal and failing to complete their qualification. Poor attendance must be addressed before the situation deteriorates further.

Learners who attend sessions regularly are more likely to enjoy a rewarding learning experience. They will gain support from their tutor, assessor and fellow learners. Attendance is key to achievement. It is also a vital part of employability.

Ill health or other legitimate reasons may prevent learners attending sessions, or their workplace. Learners are responsible for informing their tutor / assessor of these circumstances.

Poor attendance should be dealt with in the same way as other behaviour matters in this policy.

Workbased programmes – maintaining contactLearners on workbased programmes need to maintain contact with their tutor and assessor. This will help them make good progress and meet the discipline of keeping to plans and deadlines. They must be in contact with their tutor / assessor at least every other week. These communications should be made in the e-portfolio contact diary.

Workplace attendanceWhere an employed learner has poor workplace attendance, this will be a matter for the setting employee discipline policy.

If a learner on voluntary placement fails to attend a workplace as agreed this will be treated in the same way as poor learning session attendance.

Workplace assessment appointmentsIf a learner fails to be available for a workplace assessment session, without notice or satisfactory explanation, only one further replacement appointment may be made. Missed appointments will delay assessment. Assessors are often not able to re-make appointments quickly because of other teaching and assessment commitments.

Meeting deadlinesLearners must submit all evidence for assessment by the final learning session of a course.

In order to meet this final deadline, learners must make good progress with submission of their evidence throughout their studies. This is why tutors and assessors set deadlines during the course.

Failure to meet deadlines should be dealt with in the same way as other behaviour matters in this policy.

Vocational learners and the law

Disclosure and Barring Checks(formerly CRB checks)Providers must ensure that adults looking after children, or having unsupervised access to them, are suitable to do so.

Enhanced DBS checks cost £44 per person. The recently introduced DBS system will mean that this check only needs to be carried out once. Learners who work or who wish to work in the childcare or health and social care sectors are strongly advised to register for the DBS Update service. This service costs £13 per year (2013) and allows employers or potential employers to access a person’s check online.

https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

These are the specific legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage2 (p.16)

These are:“3.9 Providers must ensure that people looking after children are suitable to fulfil the requirements of their roles. Providers must have effective systems in place to ensure that practitioners, and any other person who is likely to have regular contact with children (including those living or working on the premises), are suitable.

2 Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, 2012

3.10 Ofsted is responsible for checking the suitability of childminders and of persons living or working on a childminder’s premises, including obtaining enhanced criminal records checks and barred list checks. Providers other than childminders must obtain an enhanced criminal records disclosure in respect of every person aged 16 and over who12:

works directly with children; lives on the premises on which the

childcare is provided; and/or works on the premises on which the

childcare is provided (unless they do not work on the part of the premises where the childcare takes place, or do not work there at times when children are present).

3.11 Providers must tell staff that they are expected to disclose any convictions, cautions, court orders, reprimands and warnings which may affect their suitability to work with children (whether received before or during their employment at the setting). Providers must not allow people whose suitability has not been checked, including through a criminal records check, to have unsupervised contact with children being cared for.

3.12 Providers other than childminders must record information about staff qualifications and the identity checks and vetting processes that have been completed (including the criminal records disclosure, reference number, the date a disclosure was obtained and details of who obtained it). For childminders the relevant information will be kept by Ofsted.

3.13 Providers must also meet their responsibilities under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.”Young people

“3.28 Only those aged 17 or over may be included in ratios (and staff under 17 should be supervised at all times). Students on long term placements and volunteers (aged 17 or over) may be included if the provider is satisfied that they are competent and responsible.”

At the beginning of their period of study a representative of the Alliance (often the tutor or assessor) will visit a setting hosting a young learner (aged under 18 year) to establish good partnership communications with the setting manager and mentor.

RatiosA learner on a short term placement should not be counted in the staffing ratios. However, where a volunteer is working for a substantial period of time in the same setting, for example, during their period of study, it would be reasonable to include them in ratios, if they are considered competent.

Insurance“3.62 Providers must carry public liability insurance.”

Setting induction and policiesFrom 3.18 “Providers must ensure that all staff receive induction training to help them understand their roles and responsibilities. Induction training must include information about emergency evacuation procedures, safeguarding, child protection, the provider’s equality policy, and health and safety issues.”

Children firstSettings must always put the needs of the children and families they serve first. Learners working at the settings must not hinder the setting’s essential work. Co-operation

The Alliance expects settings to: co-operate with learners’ tutors and

assessors in order to help learners to fulfil the requirements of their course of study.

communicate a positive message to students about the value of qualifications and training.

ensure that voluntary trainees are engaged in bona fide early years work that relates to their training, and provides the necessary background understanding of children's development and activities.

Study ReferencesThe Pre-school Learning Alliance is willing to provide study references for learners. The type and style of reference provided will depend on the behaviour and performance of the learner in her or his learning and assessment.

Procedure

Strictly factual referenceAll learners may receive a strictly factual reference that is giving:

the type of qualification, dates of the study period, and confirming achievement status

(successful, partially successful, assessment incomplete, or no achievement).

Enhanced referenceWhere the tutor and assessor can confirm that a learner has:

Attended sessions regularly, Kept good time keeping Shown good study commitment Shown the professional standards of

behaviour in class and in their work /placement setting,

Not submitted work that is plagiarised

The reference will include the additional phrase confirming the success a good conduct of the learner.