Frequently

 Asked  Questions

Role Question Answer  

All Can  I  go  off  site  on  my  days  off? Yes,  of  course.    You  should  definitely  get  a  break  away  from  the  site.  

All Can  I  spend  nights  away  from  site? Only  with  the  permission  of  the  CM  and  if  planned  in  advance  
All Can  my  boy/girlfriend  stay  over? Absolutely  not.  
All Even  if  I  have  a  room  not  on  a  student  floor  can  my  boy/girlfriend  stay   Still  absolutely  not.    
over?
All I  have  formed  a  relationship  with  a  staff  member.    Can  he/she  stay   Absolutely  not.  
over  in  my  room?
All Can  I  go  to  the  pub? Yes,  as  long  as  you  do  not  consume  any  alcohol  if  you  have  further  
duties  to  perform  that  day.  You  must  also  be  in  a  fit  state  to  work  the  
next  morning.  
All Can  we  designate  a  room  at  the  centre  as  a  drinking  den? Absolutely  not.  BSC  junior  centres  must  be  dry.  

All Can  I  have  alcohol  in  my  room? Absolutely  not.  

All I  am  ill  and  can't  work  today.    Do  I  need  to  tell  anyone? Yes,  of  course.    Please  phone/text/email  your  line  manager/HO  ASAP.  

All Do  I  have  to  do  pastoral  duties? Yes.    All  staff  have  to  do  the  duties  as  per  the  rota.  
All How  do  I  know  what  the  pastoral  duties  involve? Please  read  the  Duties  Explanation  sheet.    This  should  be  in  the  course  
office;  it  can  be  found  on  Bellbird.  
All I  suffer  from  an  illness  which  means  I  can't  do  much  physical  activity.     No.    Please  inform  Frances/your  CM  so  that  you  can  be  placed  on  
Does  this  mean  I  don't  have  to  do  activities? appropriate  non-­‐sporty  activities.  

All Do  I  need  to  fill  in  and  return  the  forms  Head  Office  sends  me  with  my   Yes.  If  you  don't  fill  in  the  forms,  you  won't  get  paid.  
contract?
 Frequently  Asked  Questions

Role Question Answer  

All How  do  I  get  paid? You  MUST  complete  the  Staff  Details  Form  and  relevant  tax  form  sent  
with  your  contract  and  return  to  HO  BEFORE  you  start  work.  Please  
check  your  details  and  write  legibly.  
All I  am  a  student.    Do  I  get  taxed? If  you  fill  out  a  p38(s)  form,  you  do  not  get  taxed.  
All I  have  been  taxed  when  I  shouldn't  have  been.    Can  I  claim  it  back? It  is  your  responsibility  to  contact  HMRC  and  claim  the  tax  back.  

All What  happens  if  I  don't  give  in  my  Staff  Details  Form? You  do  not  get  paid.  
All What  happens  if  I  don't  give  in  completed  tax  form? You  will  be  put  on  emergency  tax.  
All Do  I  need  a  National  Insurance  number? Yes.  If  you  are  not  from  the  UK,  make  an  appointment  with  the  local  
Jobcentre  to  get  one.  
All What  if  I  don't  provide  a  National  Insurance  number? You  get  taxed  at  20%
All My  p45  is  from  last  year.    Is  this  OK? No.    A  p45  is  only  valid  if  it  is  from  the  current  tax  year  (April  6th  -­‐April  
5th)
All Can  I  get  an  advance  on  my  wages? The  general  answer  is  no,  but  we  will  consider  extreme  circumstances.  

All I  don't  have  a  UK  bank  account.    Is  this  a  problem? Payments  to  foreign  accounts  will  be  processed  after  normal  payday  
and  transfer  fees  will  be  charged  to  you.  
All Will  I  get  a  payslip? Yes.    It  should  be  emailed  to  you  directly  from  the  payroll  accountant.  

All Will  I  get  a  p45? Yes.    The  payroll  accountant  processes  these  at  the  end  of  the  summer  
and  will  email  them  to  you.  
All I  have  lost  my  p45.    Can  I  get  another  one? No.    HMRC  does  not  permit  this.  If  you  lose  your  p45  you  can  only  
provide  a  p46.  
All How  do  I  get  reimbursed  for  my  travel  expenses? You  MUST  complete  an  Expenses  Claim  Form  and  attach  the  original  
receipt.    No  receipt  =  no  reimbursement.
All Who  deals  with  travel  expenses? The  Centre  Administrator  and  Frances.  
 Frequently  Asked  Questions

Role Question Answer  

All What  do  I  do  if  I  see  someone  is  not  pulling  their  weight? Talk  to  their  line  manager.  

All What  do  I  do  if  I  think  there  is  a  failure  at  management  level? Call  or  email  Head  Office  immediately.  

All Do  I  work  on  my  last  contracted  day? Not  normally  but  it  depends  on  operational  demands.  Please  discuss  
with  CM/Frances.  
All Can  I  leave  a  day  early? This  depends  on  operational  demands.    Please  discuss  with  
CM/Frances
All Do  we  have  to  wear  our  lanyards  all  the  time? Absolutely  yes  (apart  from  when  sleeping/in  the  shower).
All Do  the  students  have  to  wear  lanyards  all  the  time? Absolutely  yes  (apart  from  when  sleeping/in  the  shower).
All When  packing  up  the  centre,  do  we  need  to  label  everything? Yes.  Obviously.  

Social Do  we  have  to  do  sign  up  sheets  for  activities? Absolutely  yes.  
Social Do  we  have  to  have  coach  lists? Absolutely  yes.  
Social Do  the  students  have  to  do  activities? Yes,  unless  they  are  genuinely  ill.  
Social Do  we  have  to  make  excursion  packs  for  the  students? Absolutely  yes.  
Social How  many  shopping  trips  can  be  included  on  the  social  programme? Make  sure  it  is  a  careful  balance  of  sightseeing,  cultural  visits,  fun  visits  
and  shopping.
Social Can  an  AL  have  an  excursion  day  as  a  day  off? No.  
Social Are  the  meetings  compulsory? Absolutely  yes.  
Social Do  we  have  to  plan  the  activities? Absolutely  yes.  Each  sessions  must  have  a  clear  structure.
 Frequently  Asked  Questions

Role Question Answer  

Academic What  is  the  maximum  class  size? Max  15  in  the  morning.  Max  12  in  the  afternoon.  
Academic Can  classes  be  of  mixed  age? Within  sensible  limits.
Academic Are  teachers  observed? Yes,  at  least  once.  
Academic Do  teachers  get  face  to  face  feedback  after  their  observation? Yes.  This  is  a  key  part  of  the  observation  process.  
Academic Do  I  have  to  use  BSC  observation  sheets? Yes.    They  are  there  to  make  the  process  smoother.  
Academic Do  teachers  write  reports? Yes.  
Academic Do  teachers  have  to  type  reports? Yes.  
Academic How  long  do  the  student  reports  have  to  be? Just  a  few  sentences.    Use  the  report  template  on  Bellbird.  
Academic Do  teachers  have  to  do  duties? Yes.    All  staff  share  all  the  duties  on  a  rota  basis.  
Academic Do  teachers  have  to  do  activities?   Yes.    There  are  no  teaching  only  roles.  Your  job  is  TAL  -­‐  Teacher  AND  
Activities  Leader.
Academic I  am  not  good  at  sport/art/drama/music,  do  I  have  to  do  the   Yes.  We  ask  for  enthusiasm  and  a  willingness  to  participate  over  
activities? sporting/artistic  ability.  
Academic Do  I  have  to  use  Bellbird? No,  but  it  will  help  you  a  lot  if  you  do.  
Academic Can  a  class  be  left  unsupervised?   Absolutely  not.  In  an  emergency  phone  the  office.  
Academic Who  checks  if  all  the  students  are  in  class? The  AM  or  an  AL  will  do  a  classroom  sweep  each  morning  at  about  
9.10.
Academic Can  teachers  have  a  teaching  day  as  a  day  off? Not  normally  as  it  is  difficult  to  cover  classes.  
Academic Does  the  syllabus  have  to  be  followed? We  require  the  weekly  topic  to  be  followed  but  TALs  are  encouraged  to  
use  their  own  ideas  and  materials  as  well  as  the  coursebook  and  BSC  
resources.  
Academic My  class  is  multi-­‐level.    How  do  I  keep  all  the  students  happy? Have  extension  exercises  for  the  stronger  ones;    make  sure  stronger  
students  focus  on  accuracy  as  well  as  fluency;  get  stronger  students  to  
help  weaker  ones
Academic One  student  is  much  stronger/weaker  than  the  others.    What  should  I   Allow  a  day  for  students  to  settle  in.    Talk  to  the  AM  to  see  if  there  is  
do? room  in  another  class  then  talk  to  the  student  to  see  if  they  want  to  
move.
 Frequently  Asked  Questions

Role Question Answer  

Managers Do  we  have  to  have  managers'  meetings? Yes.    The  more  often  the  better.  
Managers Do  we  have  to  have  Group  Leader  meetings? Yes.  The  more  often  the  better.  
Managers Does  there  have  to  be  a  list  of  students  for  each  house/floor? Yes.  It  is  needed  to  check  students  in  and  out  of  the  house.  

Managers Do  we  need  to  make  Buddy  Group  roll  call  lists? Yes.  
Managers Do  we  need  to  keep  in  touch  with  HQ? Absolutely  yes.  You  should  keep  us  up  to  date  with  all  events.  
Managers Can  we  discipline  staff? Yes,  if  you  think  a  member  of  staff  is  not  doing  their  job  properly.  
Please  keep  HQ  informed  of  underperforming  staff.  
Managers Which  of  us  should  do  the  student  induction? All  of  you.    
Managers Which  of  us  should  to  the  GL  inductions? All  of  you.    
Managers If  students/staff  arrive  late  do  they  still  have  to  have  an  induction? Yes,  of  course.  

Managers Do  I  have  to  write  staff  reports? Yes.  The  more  feedback  on  staff  we  have,  the  better.  
Managers What  do  I  do  if  a  child  is  missing  classes/behaving  badly/causing   Talk  to  the  child  and  GL  and  report  it  to  Nataliia  Ruban  so  a  message  
problems? can  be  passed  to  the  agents/parents.
Managers Do  we  have  to  do  fire  drills? Yes.  At  least  once  every  two  weeks.  
Managers Does  HO  visit  the  school? Yes.    If  you  need  us  to  come  on  a  particular  day,  let  us  know.