Our Mission is to provide local, affordable part-time community based adult learning opportunities which assist adults to achieve their full potential and through this to contribute to social inclusion, stimulate economic development, widen participation in learning and promote a culture of lifelong learning.

Learner GuideAdult Education

ADULTEDUCATION

ADULTEDUCATION

Welcome to Cornwall Adult

Education

We will do this by: Providing a second chance for those who for

whatever reason, have not achieved their full potential at school

Enhancing the career prospects of adults not in employment by seeking to meet their education and training needs. Supporting business to develop the needs of their employees

Assisting adults to function and progress at work and in society in general through improving their reading, writing, English speaking, mathematics and computer skills

Helping to deliver the capacity for learning in communities through delivering a Family Learning programme

Broadening horizons, expand knowledge, develop skills and provide personal fulfilment through a range of learning opportunities

To both new and returning learners, I hope you have an enjoyable and successful learning experience and help us to ensure that this is the case for all learners.I hope you find the information in this guide helpful. If there is anything else you need to know, please ask. Our staff are committed to delivering the best possible service and to helping you get the most from your time with us by demonstrating:

our commitment to you as a learner our commitment to equal opportunities our commitment to helping you achieve your potential our commitment to the quality of all the courses

we run

Our commitment to you We will endeavour to:

Provide reliable information in appropriate and accessible formats

Offer a fair and efficient enrolment process Ensure a high quality and enjoyable teaching

and learning experience to meet your individual needs as a learner

Make sure you learn in a healthy and safe environment

Ensure the prompt and sympathetic handling of any complaint you make, in keeping with Cornwall Council’s Compliments, Comments and Complaints Procedure

Only collect information about you and your learning that helps us to improve the quality of our courses and/or that is needed by either the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) or the Education Funding Agency (EFA) who provide funding to subsidise your learning

Promote a learning culture within which equality and diversity is valued and there is zero tolerance for any form of bullying or harassment

Promote key values of democracy; the rule of law; individual liberty; mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

Ensure that we have knowledgeable and appropriately qualified tutors and welcoming, supportive staff

Your commitment to yourself and your fellow learnersIn order that you and your fellow learners can enjoy your learning, make progress and achieve to your full potential it is important that you:

Take responsibility for your learning, attend regularly, arrive punctually and participate fully. Please let the tutor and/or centre know in advance if you know you are going to be unable to attend a particular session: this will help the tutor to plan and suggest ways in which you can catch up

Let your tutor know what you hope to achieve during this course – your personal aims. If at any point you do not feel you are in the right class for you, please speak to your tutor straight away. You may be able to transfer to a more suitable class, or we may be able to provide some extra support for your studies

If you have to withdraw from a course, please inform your tutor or the centre office as soon as possible

Respect and support your fellow learners. Avoid any language or behaviour that others may find unkind, discriminatory or offensive: report any incidents of bullying, discrimination or harassment to your course tutor, the Centre admin team or one of our Safeguarding Advocates (your centre admin team or Area Coordinator will be able to provide you with contact details or please refer to www.cornwall.gov.uk/safeguardingadults)

Comply with health and safety requirements Respect the property of Cornwall Adult

Education, of staff and other learners Complete all forms and paperwork required

by Cornwall Adult Education, government departments or funding agencies

Pay all course/examination fees and other advertised charges on time

If you are on a qualification course, please complete the necessary assessment activities as requested by your course tutor

CALMOnce you are enrolled on one of our courses, you will be given access to our online learning area – CALM. Here additional resources for your course may be posted by your tutor to help you continue studying between sessions and/or catch up with any session you may have missed.

You may also use CALM to offer feedback about your course, to find out how you can become more involved with Cornwall Adult Education and to access copies of our policies, including the Learner Charter incorporating the Learner Code of Conduct, the Anti-bullying and Harassment Policy. Copies of these and other policies can also be made available from the centre on request.

Your views matterWe constantly aim to improve the quality of our service to you. To ensure this, it is vital that we receive and listen to your views: with your help we will be able to ensure that Cornwall Adult Education evolves responsively to meet your needs and interests.We welcome any feedback about your learning experience with us and aim to respond to this in a way that contributes to the range and quality of our provision. You can provide this feedback in a number of ways:

each of our centres has a Comments box please complete the ‘Your Views Matter’ course

evaluation – we review these thoroughly and use them to inform our provision and quality improvement processes

by participating in a Learner Focus Group by using one of the comments boxes on CALM

Centre closures and session cancellationsEvery effort is made to keep centres open. In the case of severe weather conditions or other unforeseen events, it is sometimes necessary to close the centres. In this event we put a message on CALM.In the case of a tutor being absent and a class being cancelled, we make every attempt to contact learners in advance. Any classes missed through centre closure or tutor absence will be made up at a time agreed by tutor and learners.

Information, Advice and GuidanceWe can offer help and support, or put you in contact with advisers who can help you:

Decide which is the best course for you

Find out about other courses you can move on to Explore possible financial support options Benefit from additional learning support Look at employment opportunities

Please ask your tutor about this, enquire at your local centre or e-mail iag@cornwall-acl.ac.uk for further information.

Equality and DiversityCornwall Adult Education welcomes learners from all backgrounds and is committed to providing the best possible learning opportunities for all our learners.

It is our responsibility to ensure that no-one is treated unfairly due to their race, gender, ethnicity, learning or physical disability, religion, marital status, sexuality or age.

We want all learners to achieve their full potential and to enjoy the provision we offer in a supportive environment where everyone is treated with fairness and dignity.

We promote equality and diversity by:

Asking tutors to negotiate and agree with all learners ground rules and boundaries that establish an environment of mutual respect and fairness, eliminating all forms of discrimination and promoting an environment where all people are valued and respected

Listening to any feedback about equality and diversity and challenging all forms of discrimination or harassment

It is important that our learners are placed on the right course and have the support needed to get the most from their learning.

To help us provide this support, if you have a physical disability or learning difficulty please let us know your needs when you enrol. Resources may vary from centre to centre, but we will always welcome the opportunity to discuss your requirements and to offer help and support.

For example, we may be able to help you by providing:

Learning materials that suit your needs, for example large print, or handouts that are produced on cream or coloured paper

Physical access to the buildings and facilities; if you are concerned about physical access to any facilities within our buildings, please talk to centre staff

A helper to support you in class Dyslexia screening and advice on self-support

strategies Someone to interpret or read for you Information and advice on courses and possible

progression routes The opportunity to brush up on maths and English

skills and help to achieve a qualification in these

Health and SafetyAll tutors are required to carry out a risk assessment at the start of each course to highlight and take precautionary action around any H&S issues to ensure that your learning will take place in a safe environment.

Your tutor will also start the course with an induction identifying safe working practice specific to your course, explaining where all the fire exits are located and what to do in an emergency.

Please always make sure you are aware of the evacuation procedures for the room you are using, especially if you are in a different room from usual.

If you are disabled and need assistance in the event of a fire, please talk to a member of staff to arrange a Personal Evacuation and Escape Plan (PEEP).

Always treat fire bells seriously and unless you have been advised that the fire alarms are being tested evacuate the building in an orderly manner by the nearest exit.

Do not return to the building until given the instruction by the staff in charge.

SmokingIn line with Cornwall Council policy, all our centres operate a strict no smoking policy which includes vaping/electronic cigarettes/electronic nicotine devices. No smoking or use of these devices is allowed in any buildings or on any Cornwall Council property.

Mobile phonesLearners are requested to switch off mobile phones, or turn the ring tone to silent, during sessions.

Mobile phones are not permitted in examination rooms. For GCSE & AS level examinations, learners will be requested to deposit mobile phones with the centre office.

In all other examinations mobile phones must be switched off and handed to the invigilator.

SafeguardingWe are fully committed to providing a safe learning environment that promotes wellbeing and security for all learners and staff in line with the policies and procedures of Cornwall Council, protecting learners and staff from bullying, harassment, abuse of any kind, discrimination or victimisation.

We will:

Maintain an up to date DBS register and ensure all staff in scope of a DBS check are required to comply

Provide up to date, relevant training on safeguarding adults and children to all members of staff

Ensure safeguarding policies and procedures are easily accessible and widely available to staff and learners

Promote an open, honest culture of mutual respect and support

We ask you to:

Respect other people’s rights to safety: not hurt or abuse or threaten to hurt or abuse others

Challenge and report any behaviour that appears to cause distress to others

We have a number of Safeguarding Advocates should you be concerned about your welfare or that of another learner. More information on safeguarding adults is available at your centre, from your tutor or from your Area Coordinator or at www.cornwall.gov.uk/safeguardingadults

Our News Your ViewsOur Service newsletter is published each term. It is available from your tutor, can be picked up in centres or viewed using CALM. It aims to keep you up to date with news, events and achievements from all areas within Cornwall Adult Education.

Contributions to the newsletter are always very welcome. Please submit these through your tutor and/or Area Coordinator or email direct to the Quality Coordinator - dbuckland@cornwall.gov.uk.

Quality mattersCornwall Adult Education is committed to continuous improvement in the quality of learning and teaching across all the courses we run.

One of the ways we assure and improve the quality of our provision is for trained session observers, Quality and Curriculum Advisers and members of the Coordination team to visit classes to see the activities taking place. When this happens, we watch some of the lesson, talk to the tutor and speak to learners about your experiences, what you are learning and how you are progressing.

The intention is never to make any judgements about any individual learner, but we are interested in the session as a whole. We always try to disrupt the lesson as little as possible while aiming to observe the learning taking place. For this reason, our visits are generally carried out without any notice being given to the tutors. As part of our observer training and quality assurance there may occasionally be two visitors.

We are also always keen to celebrate all learners’ progress and achievement and we always encourage all learners to set personal goals and to reflect on their achievements.

At the start of the course your tutor will talk to you about what you want to achieve and will encourage you to add your goals to your Personal Learning Plan. During the course your tutor will discuss and record your progress with you and at the end of the course your achievements will be recorded. You will also have the opportunity to talk to your tutor about what you would like to do next; this may include asking to meet the National Careers Service for a discussion about your next steps and we will be happy to arrange this for you.

Printed on paper from responsible sources.Sept 2016 JN 41428

If you would like this information in another format or language please contact:Cornwall Council, County Hall, Treyew Road, Truro TR1 3AYTelephone: 0300 1234 100 Email: enquiries@cornwall.gov.ukwww.cornwall.gov.uk

www.cornwall.gov.uk/adultlearningTel: 0300 1231 117

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