Welcome to our academic community at SCL International College, where we offer dynamic English language courses to enhance your linguistic proficiency. To ensure a supportive and effective learning experience, we maintain a set of college policies specific to our English language programs. These policies are thoughtfully designed to facilitate your language learning journey, covering various aspects of your academic and linguistic development. We encourage you to acquaint yourself with these policies to make the most of your time with us, fostering a positive and inclusive language learning environment. If you have any inquiries or need clarification, our dedicated staff is ready to assist you.
To see policies concerning our University Pathways courses, please click the button below.
Principle
SCL International College aims to ensure all students are booked on the correct course to suit their needs, as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Procedures
Bookings for Individuals and Groups can be made through the school’s website, by email, in person or by telephone.
Bookings are accepted through the sales team and from students contacting the school directly.
A registration fee of £70 is required for individual bookings.
A deposit of 10% is required to confirm enrolments for individuals and group bookings.
Full payment of fees is required 4 weeks prior to the commencement of the course.
Courses are subject to availability. If a course is unavailable an alternative date will be offered.
When enrolling it is very important that the school receives all medical conditions, allergies and dietary requirements at least two weeks before arrival.
The school should be informed of any serious difficulties with hearing, sight or mobility, or any other factor that may have implications on their learning.
Before booking and paying for a course, students must read and confirm having read contract terms and conditions of enrolment.
The school strongly recommends students travel with adequate insurance to cover expenses in case of emergency and also fees and costs in case of cancellation or curtailment.
Students requiring visas should ensure they have met all necessary requirements for entry into and studying in the UK.
Entry Requirements
If a student intends to sit an examination whilst studying at the school, it is recommended they check their level before booking on the course.
SCL International College takes attendance at the school very seriously and expects students to attend every lesson. It is important that students understand what the procedure will be if they do not attend lessons.
The school keeps a record of each student’s attendance at every lesson and calculates total attendance each week. If a lesson is missed the teacher will record the absence and it is added to the record at the end of the week. This can affect the average attendance and parents could be informed.
Arriving late for a lesson is also very important as this is very disruptive and teachers may not let a student, arriving late, join the class. In this case the student will be marked absent and the student must report to the school reception.
To receive a course certificate a student must attend 85% of their lessons.
Any absence due to illness must be substantiated by a group leader. Any unauthorised absences result in a certificate not being issued.
If a student’s attendance is poor the school will try to help the student improve. If this does not lead to improvement, it may result in the student being asked to leave the school.
If a student is studying on a visa it is important to know how poor attendance can affect a student’s right to stay in the UK.
Please see the Handbook for Student Visas and UK Border Agency for details on this procedure.
Before you book and pay for a course at SCL International College you must read and confirm you have understood our Terms and Conditions.
Cancellations
Please note that prices may be subject to alteration. See your Consultant or Educational Tour Operator for insurance information.
Force Majeure
SCL International College is not liable for loss of tuition or other services due to factors outside our control. Refunds will not be made under these circumstances.
We have revised our cancellations policy to allow greater flexibility and to ensure you can book with confidence.
All students who are forced to cancel their place as a direct result of Covid-19 can either defer their studies to a new enrolment date or start their programme online with the choice to continue on-site once any restrictions have been lifted. We can also issue vouchers that can be redeemed throughout 2021.
This policy covers the following:
All students forced to cancel due to Covid-19 restrictions can:
When a student’s studies have already been deferred and then they subsequently choose to cancel, this will be considered as less than four weeks’ notice.
We are planning our summer programmes to commence as usual by July 2021, pending on government permission, and we look forward to welcoming all students to London at one of our four campuses.
This policy was last updated on 15 April 2021. We are reviewing and adapting our policies as the situation regarding Covid-19 develops. We understand that this is a very difficult time for everyone. Our goal is to be clear and transparent with the information being released. We are a strong community, our students' and staff's safety and wellbeing remain of the highest importance to us.
SCL International College welcomes students aged 16-17 on a range of courses throughout the year. They can be placed in a class with either 18+ or students under 18 year’s old, as part of the same programme.
SCL International College has a responsibility to provide an enjoyable, comfortable and safe learning environment for all our staff and students. This is especially important for students under 18 and adults at risk and this page explains how we care for these learners and what their responsibilities are.
Students aged 16 and 17 can study at the adult centre if we have permission from their parent/guardian. They must be aware that SCL International College does not provide 24-hour supervision except the residence reception and security.
Please be aware of the following:
Emergency Phone
A member of SCL International College's Safeguarding Team can be contacted 24 hours a day, seven days a week in the case of an emergency. This number is given to all students during induction and appears on the student card attached to their lanyards that we require under 18's to wear at all times. Students are also asked to enter the emergency number onto their phones at the school induction.
Parental Agreements
Before a student aged 16-17 begins studying at SCL International College, both the parent/guardian and the student must sign and return to us a number of documents. These confirm that they understand the school’s procedures and the rules for the welfare of under 16-17's and the level of supervision that we provide. It is important that parents and 16-17's understand that if a student under 18 breaks our rules, SCL International College will inform the parents/guardian and in serious cases has the right to ask the student to return home: in such cases, the fees are not refunded and the travel back is on their own expenses.
It is also important that you give SCL International College the student’s mobile number along with next of kin details and once the student has arrived in the UK, he/she must keep the phone switched on and charged.
Accommodation
We require students aged 16-17 to stay in our accommodation. SCL International College does sometimes accept other arrangements where the student is guaranteed to have adult supervision from an adult, such as staying with a family friend or relative, provided SCL International College finds it suitable and provided we have written confirmation of the arrangements from the parents/guardian at the time of the enrolment.
Pastoral Care
We take the safety of our students very seriously at SCL International College and all of our staff, activity leaders and contractors have a minimum basic level of safeguarding for under 18's. This means they know how to recognise and respond to any students who may appear unhappy or distressed at any time during their stay with us.
We understand that living away from home can be difficult for some students, especially for young learners. Our Welfare Officer and Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL) are available throughout the day to speak to students about any problems or concerns they have. All of our teachers and office staff can also offer advice and support to anyone feeling homesick or lonely. Outside office hours, we have a 24-hour emergency telephone number that students can call.
We also appreciate that sending a child abroad to study can be worrying for parents so we want to make sure that we give parents all the information they need to be sure they are making the right decision to sending their child to our Campus. We also require parents/guardians to provide us with as much information on their child as possible, including any medical conditions, so that we can provide the best level of care for them at all times. Our Parental Consent Form requires that they ensure that their child is aware of such issues as curfews and unsupervised time, accommodation and school rules that must be agreed to.
We take our responsibilities for young learners very seriously and we have rigorous policies and procedures in place to make sure children have the best possible experience in a safe and secure learning environment.
If there are any aspects of the programme that are not clear, please feel free to contact us. Please also refer to our full list of policies on this page.
Remember that if you break the UK laws (offering alcohol to the students under the age of 18 or by posting something defamatory on social media, etc.), you will be personally responsible.
Students must adhere to the following:
Principles
SCL International College is committed to providing clear lines of communication for students to voice complaints and suggestions. The school will make every effort possible to resolve any complaints received by students quickly, fairly and without discrimination. Complaints are viewed as an opportunity to review and improve the services offered by SCL.
Procedures – Students’ Complaints - Pastoral
Any student wishing to make a complaint regarding any aspects of the school should, in the first instance, address his or her complaint to Welfare Officer; Denisa Sava or the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) (Gary Speirs). If they are unable to deal with the problem, the complaint will be passed on to the relevant person.
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 reason for this.
A full record of the complaint and any action taken will be kept by the Welfare Officer or DSL.
Students’ Complaints -Teachers and Teaching
Where possible students are asked to see their teacher if they are unhappy with their class or level. If you prefer not to speak to your teacher, any academic issues should be addressed to the Academic Manager, Gary Spiers. The matter will be discussed with the teacher and possible solutions identified. The Academic Manager will check after a suitable length of time that the problem has been resolved. If a student is still unhappy, he/she may be moved to another class. The Academic Manager will provide the teacher and student with as much support as possible.
Staff
Any staff member wishing to make a complaint regarding any aspect of the school or their working conditions, should in the first instance, address his or her complaint to their direct Line Manager or DSL. Where possible action will be taken to resolve the complaint and where necessary procedures will be amended to satisfy the complaint.
A full record of the complaint, any action taken, will be kept by the DSL and Manager in the Complaints File.
Unresolved Issues
In the event of a matter being unresolved an external independent adjudicating panel can be set up with a legal representative and English UK support member.
In this case the complaint should be put in writing and sent to The Ombudsman, English UK, 47 Brunswick Court, Tanner Street, London SE1 3LH or to info@englishuk.com.
SCL International College is a multicultural and international environment in which we help to foster an acceptance and tolerance of a range of views students may encounter in such a community.
We encourage our students to express their views and beliefs as long as these respect the core British values of:
Any prejudice, discrimination or extremist views, including derogatory language, displayed by students or staff will always be challenged and dealt with in line with the relevant policies on student behaviour or staff conduct.
As part of wider safeguarding, staff will be alert to and have a duty to report:
Reports of any of the above will be made to the Designated Safeguarding Lead or Senior Manager. In extreme cases the police may need to be notified.
Pursuing Excellence in English
The Customer Charter aims to improve access to the SCL International College services and to improve quality. The Charter informs customers of the standards of service to expect and what action to take in the event of any problems.
The Charter is reviewed and updated on an annual basis.
Assurance - Fair Service
SCL International College 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 school is committed to promoting a positive learning environment amongst its students and staff.
The well-being, development and progress of students are of primary importance.
The school provides a safe, caring educational environment with close adherence to welfare and safeguarding regulations.
The school promotes a learning environment which is completely free from bullying and demonstrates respect for diversity and equality.
Complaints
The school makes every effort possible to resolve any complaints received by a student within 24 hours.
Any student wishing to make a complaint should address the complaint to the Welfare Officer or Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) who will ensure the complaint is passed to the relevant person 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 Welfare Officer or DSL 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 email: info@sclinternationalcollege.com
Website: www.sclinternationalcollege.com
By telephone: +44 (0) 203 141 7539
Accreditation
The school is accredited by the British Council and is a member of English UK. Inspections are carried out by the British Council.
You may be requested to leave your course if your behaviour is deemed to interfere with other students’ learning or with their experience at SCL International College. Disciplinary problems or acts of serious misconduct will result in the School implementing a series of measures to deal with the situation. Gross misconduct will result in immediate expulsion from the school.
Disciplinary problems:
Serious Misconduct
If you do something wrong that is serious enough to put yourself or other people in danger, or goes against the values under which we operate, we will implement disciplinary procedures.
Examples of such behaviour may include:
If you behave inappropriately (as we have described above) at any time whilst you are the responsibility of the school, we will ask you to attend a meeting with a member of the Senior Management Team and with Byron Skelton, the Welfare Officer/Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), where we can discuss your behaviour and look for ways to improve it. Minutes of the meeting will be taken, and a copy sent to your parents or guardian if you are under 18, or to your agent/sponsor (with your written permission) if you are an adult. A copy will also be kept in our files. This will be your first written warning.
We will look at the situation again after the agreed time. If there has not been an improvement, we will ask you to attend a meeting with a member of the Senior Management Team and the Welfare Officer/DSL. If you think it is the right thing to do, we will set another deadline and agree with you again the improvements we are looking for. A copy of the targets will be sent to the appropriate person as above. This will be your second written warning.
If we are still concerned about your behaviour after the agreed time, we will give you a final warning, in which we will explain the conditions to be met if you are to continue at the school. We might, at this time, recommend temporary or permanent exclusion. You will be able to appeal against any recommendation for permanent exclusion or suspension.
If you are excluded from school in the circumstances we have described above, no refund of tuition fees will be given.
Exclusion Policy
A student can be excluded from school if their behaviour or performance has not improved in response to the disciplinary procedures above. If an incident of Gross Misconduct comes to our attention, we will ask you to leave the school immediately.
Gross Misconduct
“Gross Misconduct” means behaviour that is so serious or unacceptable that we have to take immediate action.
If you are excluded from school due to Gross Misconduct, no refund of fees will be given.
If you came into the UK on a visa, obtained on the basis of your attendance at the school, it is our legal obligation to inform the authorities of our decision.
Examples of what constitute gross misconduct include violation of UK laws and any of the following:
SCL International College takes a proactive approach to equality, taking seriously the responsibility of promoting equality with regards to:
The school values everyone as an individual and strives to provide an environment which will ensure any person entering the premises will be treated fairly and equally, regardless of the above. Students at the school can be certain they will be studying in an atmosphere where everyone receives respect and can voice their diverse needs, knowing that they will be heard.
The school works to high standards to ensure that the diverse needs of all students are recognised and met by taking account of legislative and regulatory requirements and by identifying key goals to be achieved.
No form of intimidation, bullying or harassment will be tolerated at the school. If a student believes they have been discriminated against in any way they should inform the School Director and the matter will be dealt with immediately.
This policy provides guidance on how SCL International College uses the Internet and social media and the procedures for doing so.
Aims
To protect all students and especially Under 18's who make use of technology (mobile phones, games consoles and the internet) whilst studying at the school.
To provide staff and visiting colleagues with policy and procedure information regarding online safety and inform them how to respond to incidents.
Understanding the online world
As part of using the Internet and social media, SCL International College will:
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
Current and emerging technologies used in school and more importantly, in many cases outside the school, by students include:
All of these have potential to help raise standards of teaching and learning but may equally present challenges to both learners and tutors in terms of keeping themselves safe. These challenges include:
At SCL International College we seek to maximise the educational benefit that can be obtained by exploiting the use of ICT, whilst at the same time minimising any associated risks. By making clear to learners, staff, contractors etc. what the school expectations are regarding the use of ICT, we aim to protect our learners and staff from harm, as far as reasonably practicable. The precise nature of the risks faced by users will change over time as technologies, fads and fashions change but there are general principles of behaviour and the code of conduct that apply to all situations e.g.: all users need to know what to do if they come across inappropriate material, and that staff members should not give out their personal information to learners such as their personal telephone numbers, email address or allow access to their personal social networking site accounts etc. We also communicate to our students on courses at SCL International College they should not give out their personal information such as telephone numbers, addresses etc. to strangers or publish this information on social networking sites.
A balance needs to be struck between educating staff and students to take a reasonable approach towards the use of regulation and technical solutions. We must recognise that there are no totally effective solutions to moderate and control the internet, so this policy incorporates both approaches.
Roles and Responsibilities for Staff
All teaching and non-teaching staff (including suppliers and contractors) are responsible for supporting safe behaviour throughout the school and following e-safety procedures. All school staff should be familiar with the E-safety and Acceptable use of ICT policy (AUP) as well as their relevance to the code of conduct and safeguarding policies.
Roles and Responsibilities for Students
The provision of ICT resources and facilities are a privilege, not a right. Students are encouraged to access various technologies in the school. They should fully participate in e-safety activities and report any suspected misuse to a member of staff.
Students are expected to:
Students are expected not to:
Roles and Responsibilities for Management Team
The management team at SCL International College takes e-safety very seriously and will ensure that policies and procedures are in line with best practice and the safeguarding agenda. In particular, they will ensure that all staff receive suitable training and development to carry out their e-safety roles and sufficient resources are allocated to the task. Senior managers will follow the correct procedure in the event of a serious e-safety allegation being made against a member of staff and ensure that there is a robust system in place for monitoring e-safety. This includes making sure that the academic network infrastructure is safe and secure, and that policies and procedures approved within this policy are implemented. SCL has internet security filters fitted to ensure no one can connect to inappropriate sites or material. Regular review of the issues will take place at the safeguarding working group meetings with feedback sessions scheduled to the management team meetings.
Responding to issues
It is important that any incidents are dealt with as soon as possible in a proportionate manner and that members of the school community are aware those incidents have been dealt with.
Any concerns around the misuse of ICT must follow the referral process within the safeguarding policy and procedure where there is a potential threat to another learner, vulnerable person or member of staff. Any suspected misuse must be reported to a member of staff and then an appropriate course of actions will be agreed.
Where an allegation has been made against a student an investigation will take place by a Senior Manager or the Designated Safeguarding Lead. The outcome of the investigation will decide what will be the appropriate course of action and, depending on the nature of the misuse, the student could be suspended from classes until the investigation is complete. The student code of conduct procedure will be invoked should the allegation be found to be true and the sanction will depend on the seriousness of the misuse and whether it was accidental or deliberate, a first-time offence, thoughtless or malicious e.g.: intended to cause harm to others. Sanctions could involve the student having ICT access removed for a period of time or in very serious cases, exclusion. Where there is a potential legal issue the Principal will decide on the need for involvement of outside agencies including the police, together with the designated persons and other members of the senior management team in line with our safeguarding and other policies.
It is the aim of SCL International College to obtain feedback on all aspects of the students’ experience during their time at the school. This includes not only their learning experience but also the accommodation, facilities available, the social programme and the service they receive before and after arrival in the UK. We also aim to deal with any issues arising out of the feedback, promptly and to the satisfaction of all concerned. The feedback we receive helps us to evaluate our product and enables us to improve all our services.
Procedures
During the induction on the first morning students and their group leaders (if applicable) are advised who to contact if they have a problem i.e. their teacher about lessons; the School Administrator about accommodation; the SCL International College reception about the social programme; the Safeguarding Lead or Welfare Officer for any personal problems and school reception for any general enquiries. Students are introduced to as many of these members of staff as possible and advised where to find them.
Students are advised that it is in everyone’s interests that any problems are brought to light and dealt with as soon as possible. Students are encouraged to contact their leaders or school team if they have any problems.
On the second day students and group leaders are given a Second Day Feedback Form to complete that day to ensure any initial problems are brought to light and dealt with promptly.
On the last day all students receive an End of Course Feedback Form. This invites students and leaders to rate and comment on lessons, accommodation, the social programme and the school in general. Information gathered from the forms is fed back to teachers and admin staff. Any complaints are discussed by the relevant departments and an action plan put in place to deal with them.
Data from the questionnaires is collated monthly and the forms scanned and passed to Senior Managers, Academic Team and QA Manager. Hard copies are also stored in the school office. A pie chart is produced annually and put to the Management Team for action.
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