Purpose

The Charter outlines the standards and services you can expect us to provide as well as the responsibilities you have to the College as one of our learners. Our primary aim is to enable you to achieve your personal, academic, vocational and professional goals whilst you develop to your maximum potential. We also hope that you will make a useful contribution to our College community.

General Information

Commitment

The College will provide you with clear information about its courses, facilities, guidance and support for students and results.

Where can I find this information?

Ask at reception or visit our website at www.enorf.ac.uk for:

• A College prospectus containing a list of courses and their entry requirements and information about content and entry requirements and who to contact as well as a guide to College facilities and activities and the latest examination results.
• A copy of the College’s Equality & Diversity Policy, Policy for Promoting Racial Equality, Disability Statement and Safeguarding Policy.

At advertised Open Days and Evenings, you will find:

• Staff and students able to discuss issues such as the content, structure and timing of course units, typical class sizes, etc.

Applications and Enrolment

Commitment

The College will provide you with pre-course guidance and a fair and inclusive admissions system which aims to allow students to enrol on appropriate courses.

The admissions system will provide you with the following:

(a) Students aged 16-18

• Details of the pre-entry and enrolment phase in the College Prospectus.
• Sound and impartial advice during presentations in schools in October/November; the Open Day in November and the Information Evening in February; individual interviews in schools or in College in December to March; Taster Day in June/July and at the time of GCSE results in College or by telephone and at enrolment in September.
• An offer of a place within ten working days of the interview when an appropriate course of study can be agreed.
• Help from your Personal Tutor and Subject Tutor if you wish to change a course once you have begun, if you feel that you are not suited to it and where places are available.
• A re-interview with your Personal Tutor and subject staff, if necessary, before beginning a second year course such as A2.

(b) Students aged 19+

• The College cannot guarantee a place for adult learners aged 19+ due to government funding restrictions.
• The Admissions Policy outlines procedures and priority categories for any applications received after the closing date.

Fees and Charges

Commitment

The College will publish clear information to you about fees and charges.

Financial arrangements are as follows:

If you are aged 16-18 and taking a full-time or part-time course, you do not have to pay tuition fees, but there is a £20 deposit payable at the start of the course, which will be refunded when all College property such as books, equipment, materials and bus pass are returned and a Leaver’s Form completed.

One examination entry per subject per unit will be paid by the College for full-time students aged 16-18. If you fail to attend an examination, a charge may be made, unless medical evidence is supplied.

A Discretionary Fund is available to help towards the costs of trips and College deposit, travel costs and extra study materials and equipment for eligible students. Details are available from Reception or the Discretionary Fund Officer and are sent to all students in June.

Details of fees and charges for students over the age of 19 are available from Reception, the Finance Office or the Deputy Principal.

Equal Opportunities

Commitment

The College will seek to ensure equality of opportunity for all and to ensure access to courses for every student who would benefit from them.

We will endeavour to ensure equality by:

• Providing a robust Equality & Diversity Policy and a separate Policy for Promoting Racial Equality, available to all.
• Providing and monitoring learning support for all students.
• Providing a clear summary of the College’s Disability Statement in this Charter.
• Providing Disability and Gender Equality Schemes.
• Organising a Student Association with an executive to oversee student activities.

Students with Specific Learning Needs

Commitment

The College aims to provide opportunities for learners with specific learning difficulties and/or disabilities and tries to ensure that all students can take full advantage of what the College has to offer. See the College website for details. We will endeavour to implement this commitment by:

• Making clear to staff the College’s Disability Statement through a statement in the Staff Policy file.
• Assigning overall responsibility to the Deputy Principal for the admission, welfare and progress of all learners including those with a disability.
• Providing specific training for staff as needed.
• Providing technological support to individual learners as appropriate, e.g. use of a lap top computer in examinations.
• Providing special arrangements for examinations.

• Regularly review disabled access. At present full access is available to all rooms and spaces used for:
  • Teaching and learning and examinations
  • Information evenings
  • Parents’ evenings
  • Performances
  • Exhibitions
  • Workshop sessions

Teaching and Learning

Commitment

The College will provide you with quality teaching and learning opportunities. We will aim to ensure quality by:

• Offering a broad range of soundly based qualifications which are annually reviewed.
• Publishing to staff College guidelines for quality teaching.
• Monitoring teaching through regular observations and an appraisal system.
• Evaluating and reviewing all courses annually through learner surveys.
• Discussing individual progress on courses with you both formally and informally.
• Ensuring your work is regularly assessed, promptly returned in accordance with departmental policies and that feedback is useful.
• Providing access to study facilities in the Library, Computer Rooms and Skills Improvement Centre.
• Providing additional support if you feel that you need extra help with study. Details are in the Student Handbook.
• In return you will be asked to sign a College Contract, agreeing to respond properly to College procedures for punctuality, attendance and meeting deadlines for work. A copy of the College Contract is available in Reception and in the Student Handbook.
• If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of teaching and learning in the College, there is a Complaints procedure in this Charter and in the Student Handbook.

Guidance and Counselling

Commitment

The College will provide you with informed, supportive and timely guidance and counselling. We will aim to ensure quality guidance for you by:

• Providing you with a Student Handbook and a tutorial induction with a Personal Tutor.
• Ensuring that your courses provide a supportive induction to study in accordance with departmental guidelines.
• Giving you regular contact with a Personal Tutor who will monitor your progress on your courses, provide a structured programme of tutorial work which includes careers and higher education guidance information and references and who can act as your first point of contact for general College issues and concerns.
• Giving you access to an up-to-date careers library in College.
• Organising a programme of visiting speakers on careers and arranging visits to higher education institutions.
• Providing an Officer responsible for managing requests for Bursary/Discretionary funds promptly and efficiently, and a Student Welfare Co-ordinator responsible for informing you about access to helping agencies outside College, and providing a counselling service in College for students experiencing personal difficulties.

Parents/Guardians Of 16 – 19 Students

Commitment

To ensure your involvement we will provide:

• An academic calendar and other general communications as necessary, as well as a Parent Handbook on our website.
• Regular progress statements as part of our reporting process.
• Regular consultation evenings for parents with College staff and information-issuing meetings about higher education each year.
• Prompt consultation with you if we need to discuss an aspect of your son’s or daughter’s progress.
• Representation on the Corporate Governing Body through the two Parent Governors (names available from the College).
• A procedure for addressing any complaints that you or the students may have which is available from the College and contained in this Charter.

To help us, we ask you to:

• Encourage your son or daughter to meet our expectations of them.
• Inform us if you become concerned about any aspect of your son’s or daughter’s progress.
• Inform us of changes in personal circumstances, such as a change of address or domestic circumstances.
• Notify us about absence on the day of occurrence, and on subsequent days, or in advance if a planned absence.
• Avoid taking family holidays in term time and complete a holiday form well in advance, if this is unavoidable. Please note that if this holiday clashes with coursework/ practical assignments, your son or daughter’s grade for that subject is highly likely to be affected, as rearrangement of such work is almost impossible. Please be aware that requests for students to take holidays in term time, independent of parents, will not be supported.
• Respond promptly to College communications.
• Attend Parents’ Evenings, including regular consultation evenings for parents with College staff and information-issuing meetings about higher education matters each year.
• Should you feel dissatisfied with any aspect of the College, you should discuss the matter with the Personal Tutor, Subject Teacher or another member of staff as appropriate (e.g. Head of Department, Senior Tutor, etc.) and they will try to resolve the problem. Do involve the Principal if you so wish.

The College Contract

The College’s Commitment to you:

Your years in the College should be an enriching experience, providing an opportunity for you to develop your potential to the full and to develop a sense of responsibility towards others. We expect you to benefit fully from your time here, and in order to achieve this, the College will offer you:

1. A commitment to safeguarding and promoting your welfare.
2.  A Personal Tutor offering guidance and support.
3.  A negotiated academic programme.
4.  Quality teaching by suitably well-qualified staff, which encourages you to assume greater responsibility for your studies.
5.  Regular setting and marking of assignments.
6.  Facilities for independent study during non-contact time.
7.  Regular assessment procedures for monitoring progress.
8.  A formative system of progress review, including the setting of personal targets.
9.  A variety of enrichment activities in your first year.
10.  Advice on higher education/employment options and completion of confidential references.
11. An environment which discourages discrimination and promotes equality of opportunity.
12. Free entry to one sitting of public examinations (non-attendance without approved reason will require students to refund the College).
13. Supported transport to College, subject to annual review.
14. Support from the Bursary/Discretionary Fund where eligible by virtue of family income.

In return, the following will be expected of you:

1. A high standard of behaviour and mutual respect for others.
2. Punctual attendance at all subject lessons, tutorials, ECDL classes, enrichment activities and recommended support sessions.
3. Notification to College of any absences.
4. A level of commitment to study, which comes first in your order of priorities, so that you can achieve agreed goals throughout your course.
5. Satisfactory performance in formal and informal assessments, including practicals, in order for you to pursue your chosen courses.
6. Responsibility for the safe-keeping and return of books and other College property issued. A £20 deposit will be required at the beginning of the course and will be refunded in full if you collect it yourself, after all books/equipment, ID card and bus pass have been returned and the leaver’s form duly signed and if all examinations have been attended.
7. Adherence to the Code of Conduct as stated in the Student Handbook.

If you do not conform to the above, your Senior Tutor will be alerted. A failure to respond to any warning will lead to contact with your parents/carers before issuing a Pre-Dismissal or Dismissal warning. Further failure to comply will result in your dismissal.

Holidays: You must not take a holiday in term time unless it is a family holiday and cannot be arranged at any other time. A week’s holiday without parents will lead to you being placed on Dismissal Warning, and more than one week’s holiday will mean that you will be asked to leave College.

College Staff

Commitment:

To help you to give a high quality service the College will aim to provide:

• Clear communication of roles and repsonsbilities, timely and constructive feedback on how staff are doing.
• An effective and accessible framework of employment policies and procedures backed up by training for line managers.
• Demonstrable leadership commitment to positive behaviours at work.
• Working with staff to identify training needs at all stages of the employment relationship induction, probation and ongoing appraisal and review discussions.
• Effective two-way communication, consultation and provision of information on major issues affecting staff and the College.
• Partnership working with trades unions and professional associations.
• Formal and informal processes for raising complaints.
• A clear and effective Safeguarding framework for staff to work within to achieve our goal of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our students.
• Access to specialist advice and support on human resources, health and safety, and occupational health matters.
• Clear commitment to the principles of Equality and Diversity and fair and transparent treatment of all staff.

To ensure a high quality service we expect you to:

• Show commitment to the College’s mission statement and strategic aims.
• Aim for high standards of work and professional conduct.
• Act as a role model to students in all aspects of conduct and behaviour.
• Treat everyone with respect, care and dignity regardless of differences.
• Familiarise yourself with, and follow the College’s policies and procedures.
• Respond appropriately and in a timely fashion to College communications and requests for information, meeting deadlines, inform colleagues/your line manager if this is not possible and ask for help when needed.
• Show commitment to your own professional development, participate in INSET or other training opportunities and support the development of others.
• Be mindful and ethical in your use of College resources and to follow financial procedures.
• Be vigilant at all times and help us make the College a safe place to work and learn by reporting any H&S or safeguarding concerns immediately.
• Respect our standing in the local community and not do anything which could bring the College into disrepute.

Employers and the Local Community

Commitment

The College aims to maintain and develop good relations with the local community, local schools and local employers.

We will implement this by:

• Dealing promptly and efficiently with requests for references in accordance with College procedures.
• Representing the College at local careers events.
• Encouraging initiatives which bring local people into College, and taking College work into the community where possible.
• Maintaining and extending good liaison with local schools and education providers through mutual visits and initiatives.

Complaints Procedure

Commitment

The College will make a courteous and efficient initial response within ten working days to any complaint about any aspect of college services.

• A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction from a student, member of staff, parent/carer or a member of the public, about any aspect of the quality of service provided by the College.
• The College welcomes comments on the quality of its service and encourages those with concerns to raise them sooner rather than later, so that matters can be resolved at the earliest possible opportunity.
• The complaints procedure is set out on the form "Suggestions and Concerns" available from the college Reception area.