PERFORMING ARTS & MUSIC Boston College Skirbeck Road BOSTON Lincolnshire PE21 6JF 01205 365701 2013 - 2014
2013—2014
Welcome We welcome your son/daughter/ward to Boston College, but in particular to the Performing Arts and Music department. We are very glad they have chosen to study at Boston College and hope they will enjoy their time with us. We are committed to providing high quality teaching and effective management of learning as you will see from our mission statement and vision below:
Mission Raising aspirations Meeting skills needs Delivering high quality education and training
Vision ‘To be a brilliant college that transforms people’s lives and makes an outstanding contribution to the economic, social and cultural life of Lincolnshire’. The College’s Values are; T O R C H E
Trust Openness Respect Challenge Honesty Excellence
These are the values we will work to promote and instil in our learners during their studies and as they prepare for further training or employment and would ask for your support with this.
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COLLEGE CALENDAR 2013-14 2013 September 2nd September 3rd September 26th October 3rd October 8th October 10th October 16th October 21st-25th October 29th October 30th & 31st November 5th November 7th November 14th November 15th December 19th
Autumn term starts. Learner Services Induction week Spalding Enrolment Higher Education Fair at BCUC HE Parents’ Briefing ’Going to University’ BCUC Spalding College in Action Boston College in Action Volunteer Fair at BCUC Half term HE Open Event Parents’ evenings School Taster day Boston College in Action Spalding College in Action Closing date for UCAS applications (internal) End of Autumn term
2014 January 6th January 23rd February 6th February 11th February 17th-21st March 3rd-7th March 4th & 5th April 4th April 22nd May 5th May 26th June 10th June 12th June 26th
Spring term starts HE Open Event Boston College in Action Spalding College in Action Half term for learners Careers week Parents’ evenings End of Spring term Summer term starts Bank Holiday Bank Holiday Spalding Open Event (Information) Boston Open Evening (Information) Summer term ends
Note Any learner taking holidays outside of holiday periods will be considered absent from the course. Learners receiving support from the College Bursary Fund need to be aware that they will not be paid for holiday periods tak10 en outside the academic breaks.
The Learning Experience Personal Property Learners are strongly advised to keep valuable belongings on or with them at all times. The College cannot accept responsibility for the loss of, or damage to, learners’ personal property.
Ensuring the quality of teaching and learning is obviously central to our purpose and we take it extremely seriously. All classes have a personal tutor who is responsible for the day-to-day management and the welfare of learners in it.
Learners are advised not to leave their coats, handbags, sports gear, calculators, etc. in unlocked classrooms, cloakrooms or locker rooms.
All full-time courses lead to a qualification, which is validated by a recognised external awarding body.
If items of property go missing, then learners should report it immediately to the College Reception. If learners find items belonging to other people, they should hand them into the College Reception as soon as possible.
Learners in this programme area will be studying one of the following courses; BTEC Level 2 Diploma in Performing Arts (including Music and DJ pathways) BTEC Level 3 Music Technology BTEC Level 3 Music BTEC Level 3 Performing Arts
Learners could help themselves by:
Leaving mobile telephone, valuable coats and jewellery at home Naming and post coding equipment Carrying only the money they need for the day Insuring expensive items of equipment
Note: Mobile phones must be turned off before lessons and handed in to the member of staff taking the lesson. All phones will be stored safely until the end of the lesson.
Educational Visits As part of the varied courses we will be visiting numerous locations. These change year to year depending on the direction of the class projects but can include,
International trips Theatre trips and workshops in London Local sites where projects relate such as local primary schools, Fantasy Island and Lincolnshire show.
There will be additional trips arranged during the academic year. 9
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Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Boston College provides high quality further education to thousands of learners aged of 14 and over. We have learners: both male and female who are high achievers who live quite close in nearby towns and villages, together with international learners from across the world of different ages who are straight, gay or bi-sexual of different nationalities and religions. with learning disabilities / difficulties Boston College celebrates and welcomes this diversity and we want to make sure everyone is treated fairly and have the same opportunities to aspire and achieve. We are committed to maintaining a College free from discrimination, harassment or victimisation in which individual differences are valued. You can expect equality of opportunity for all who learn, work and visit Boston College.
Disciplinary Procedure Learners whose behaviour is persistently or seriously disruptive or who in some other way behave in an offensive, socially unacceptable, careless or irresponsible manner will find themselves subject to the College disciplinary procedure. First Verbal Warning Tutor or other appropriate member of staff Green Card issued for Support with work White Card issued by Course Tutor Yellow Card issued by Programme Area Manager If no improvement Red Card issued by Head of Curriculum If no improvement The case will be heard before the Academic Board Appeal If the learner is less than eighteen years of age the parent or guardian will be informed of any procedures after the White Card. If over eighteen years of age a person of the learner’s choice may accompany them to the interview, letters are not normally sent to parents.
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Specific Workshop Safety Points Malicious use of equipment, destruction of facilities, contravention of the H&S Act, or general misbehaviour will result in loss of classroom or workshop facilities. No learner shall leave the classroom or workshop until indicated by the lecturer in charge. MOBILE PHONES must be switched to silent in all classrooms.
Eating, drinking and the use of personal stereos are not allowed in classrooms or workshops.
Attendance Good levels of attendance are very important and there is a direct correlation between attendance and achievement i.e. the better the attendance record, the better the chance of achieving the qualification / high grades. Individual attendance records will be closely monitored and learners will be expected to meet minimum level of attendance of 93%. Having a disciplined approach to attendance is also good preparation for learners’ future working life and future employers often ask to see evidence of attendance when seeking references for employees. Should your son/daughter/ward be unable to attend for any reason, please contact the College directly using any of the following methods as soon as possible on the morning of absence (ideally by 9.30am)
Phone – 01205 365701 (and choose option “2”)
Email - absent@boston.ac.uk
Text – Please text BCABSENT to 88020
If you or your son/daughter/ward fails to do this you may be phoned by the Attendance Monitor whose task it is to inform parents/guardians of learner absences. It would be appreciated if any non-essential personal appointments could be booked around the learner’s timetable. Thank you for your help in this matter.
Safeguarding Statement Boston College places a high priority on the safety and wellbeing of our learners. We are committed to creating and maintaining a friendly, welcoming and safe working environment for all young people and vulnerable adults, whether learning is taking place on or off College premises. We have a duty to safeguard all learners, and we will respond immediately if there is a concern that a learner might be the victim of bullying, harassment, abuse or neglect.
All staff are trained in safeguarding and there is a designated specialist Safeguarding Team to help with any concerns you might have about your own or someone else’s safety. If you need to contact the Safeguarding Team please go to: ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Main reception Learner Services The ‘Stay Safe’ button on Moodle E-mail staysafe@boston.ac.uk
If you need to contact someone out of College hours about safeguarding contact:▪ Children’s Social Care on 01522 782333 ▪ In an emergency situation dial 999 and call the police An important part of safeguarding is making sure only authorised people are on our College premises. Please help us with this by carrying your ID badge at all times and showing it if asked by a member of College staff.
At Boston College we respect everyone within the College community. We also emphasise respect for personal property and for the facilities of the College. We therefore, expect learners to work with us to create an environment where everyone feels safe and valued and can work to achieve their full potential.
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How we communicate with Parents
Induction
There are several opportunities throughout the year for you to give or receive feedback about your son / daughter / ward’s progress.
During the first week at College your son/daughter/ward will have received the following:
1. Parents Discussion evenings – Parents will be invited to evening discussions in October and March. We require your attendance with your son/daughter’s tutor to discuss your role/support in their learning year. Information collated from learners’ individual learning plan will be available to give you a full overview of attendance, commitment, progress and achievement,
2. Parent Surveys – these are issued twice a year, normally in November and March. We value your comments and feedback and are committed to further improving our service.
Health and Safety
3. Award evenings – these are held in the summer term and parents and family are invited to attend. It is a chance for learners to showcase their skills and for those who have made outstanding progress to be acknowledged with the presentation of programme area awards. In addition you are very welcome to contact the college at any time should you have concerns or questions. We suggest you initially contact the main reception at the college who will be pleased to help with your enquiries, or will be able to help you to get in touch with an individual tutor or member of the course team, as shown below.
Contact Information Main reception at Boston College Tel: (01205) 365701
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Health and Safety Training/Fire safety Timetables and Rotas Tour of all College Facilities Overview of Learner Services Various Team Building Events Induction on the skills and processes they will be using during their time on the course.
We intend to provide your son/daughter/ward with a safe and healthy learning environment. Your son/daughter/ward will receive health and safety information as part of their induction to the course. They will not undertake any task which could affect their health and safety or the health and safety of other learners, staff and visitors to the College. Failing to follow health and safety regulations, or College health and safety procedures, is regarded very seriously. All areas of the College are subject to regular health and safety audits. Staff receive training on health and safety awareness. Wherever required, staff receive training on the health and safety aspects of the equipment, processes and materials which are employed in teaching and learning.
Richard Chambers
Head of Curriculum Email: Richardc@boston.ac.uk
The College has qualified first aiders on call and it is vital that we have an emergency contact number so you can be contacted if your son/ daughter/ward has an accident.
Neil Percy
Programme Area Manager Performing Arts and Music Email: neil-p@boston.ac.uk
Matters regarding health and safety are of great importance in the Creative Arts sector and good practice will be rigidly enforced as listed in the code of practice overleaf. 6