Staff Handbook 2013

Contents
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 2
Staff Roles ......................................................................................................................................................... 3
Group Leaders ................................................................................................................................................... 4
Daily Routine ..................................................................................................................................................... 5
Student Rules .................................................................................................................................................... 5
Buddy Groups .................................................................................................................................................... 6
Supervision Policy ............................................................................................................................................. 6
Student Care ...................................................................................................................................................... 8
General Responsibilities .................................................................................................................................. 10
Catering ........................................................................................................................................................... 11
Public Relations ............................................................................................................................................... 12
Grievance Policy & Procedure ......................................................................................................................... 13
Academic Programme Information .................................................................................................................. 14
Social Programme Information ........................................................................................................................ 16
Residential Duties ............................................................................................................................................ 27

1
Introduction
This handbook is a guide to prepare and assist staff in the operation of a BSC Junior Vacation Course. It
contains information resulting from many years’ experience and constitutes essential reading prior to the
commencement of the Easter/summer season. Should any areas need further clarification, please do not
hesitate to speak to Head Office.

This handbook should be read in conjunction with any host centre staff handbooks. Some centres may be
shared sites and BSC maybe one of a number of residential and non-residential organisations who are also
utilizing the host centre facilities.

To aid the smooth running of the centres, ensure co-ordination of shared facilities and offer help and support,
centres have their own dedicated teams led by: Graham Dawtrey at Ardingly College, Amanda Bromley at
Wycliffe College and Andrew Hailes at Cheltenham College. In most cases BSC has enjoyed an excellent
working relationship with the on-site teams and it is important to remember that the on-site staff are there to
help and not hinder our operations.

The BSC philosophy is to create a safe, welcoming and exciting environment in which students can
experience a variety of activities and excursions as well as improve their English language. The philosophy
also extends to BSC staff teams where we endeavour to provide staff with a worthwhile and enjoyable
experience.

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Staff Roles
Centre Manager (CM)
The Centre Manager is responsible for the implementation and administration of all aspects of the
programme in addition to the management of the staff team and their performance. The Centre Manager
should ensure that the programme operates to the highest possible standard at all times so that students
derive the maximum benefit from their course.

Centre Administrator (CA)

The Centre Administrator is responsible for the overall day-to-day administration of the centre, e.g. room
allocations, arrivals and departures, catering, working closely with the on-site teams and Group Leaders to
ensure smooth running of the centre.

Academic Manager (AM)

The Academic Manager is responsible for all educational aspects of the programme. Duties include testing
of new students, placing students in classes, timetabling, observations, managing academic resources and
managing the TALs and liaising with the Social Managers to ensure integrated programmes.

EFL Teacher/Activities Leader (TAL)

TAL are expected to deliver quality English language lessons with emphasis on communication skills and
fluency building, basing their work on the BSC syllabus and materials. When not teaching, TALs are
expected to assist – as per a rota system – in the social programme and with residential duties.

Activities Manager (ActM)

The Activities Manager organises the on-site activity programme and ensures that it integrates effectively
with the academic programme. Duties include: designing and implementing a varied and appropriate social
programme; managing activity staff; promoting and communicating activities; overseeing sign up sheets.

Excursions Manager (EM)

The Excursions Manager is responsible for the off-site social programme. Duties include: organising
transport for all excursion destinations; compiling coach lists; making itineraries; producing excursion packs;
promoting and organising optional excursions.

Activities Leader (AL)

An AL contributes fully to the whole summer school with particular responsibility for the social programme
both on and off campus. The AL has a vital role and he/she is crucial to the quality and safe operation of the
summer school. An AL may have a particular specialization, such as tennis coaching or lifeguarding, but they
are expected to organize and participate in all aspects of the social programme when not engaged in their
specialization.

For a full list of duties for any staff role, please see the relevant job description. If you do not have this, a
copy can be made available to you. It is important that you are aware of and agree to all of the listed duties
before the course begins. All staff are asked to sign a form to indicate that they understand their duties.

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Group Leaders
Students are often accompanied by Group Leaders from their own country. GLs generally fall into one of two
types:

Organiser Leader

This Leader will have been partly or wholly responsible for recruiting the students for the group and will
probably know many of them. They may well be an English teacher at the students’ home school. They will
usually be experienced and have high expectations.

Employee Leader

Leaders of this type will be employed by large organisations sending students abroad and will generally not
know the students. They may be quite young and relatively inexperienced, though should have received
some training. They may not be as authoritative as ‘Organiser’ Leaders but need the same consideration and
support.

No Group Leaders are employed by BSC.

Group Leader Roles / Responsibilities

Group Leaders should be encouraged to do the following:

- Be responsible for the pastoral and welfare care of their students

- Collect damage deposits, passports, and flight tickets on arrival from their group
- Be responsible for the allocation of student pocket money
- Be responsible for their students during meal times
- Check that all their students attend daytime activities
- Accompany their students and be responsible for them on all off-site activities
- Be responsible for their students after bedtime (i.e. noise control and discipline)

The above points are not all exclusively the responsibility of the Group Leader, as the role will also be shared
by the BSC staff.

It is important that Group Leaders are made to feel welcome by BSC staff and that they return home with a
positive impression of the summer school. Therefore, a professional attitude should be displayed around
them at all times.

BSC staff should involve Group Leaders in the organisation of the social programme and make them feel a
valued part of the team. Maintaining a good professional relationship with a Group Leader is arguably one of
the most important roles of all staff and one that should not be undervalued.

4
Daily Routine
This may need amending to satisfy mealtime and other requirements of individual schools.

Breakfast 07:30 – 08:30

Lesson 1 09:00 – 11:00
Break 11:00 – 11:30
Lesson 2 11:30 – 12:30
Lunch 12:30
Roll call 1 13:55
Activity / Intensive English 14:00 – 16:00
Break 16:00 – 16:30
Activity 16:30 – 17:30
Dinner 18:00
Roll call 2 19:25
Evening Activity 19:30 – 21:30
In own house before 22:00
Roll call 3 22:00
In own room before 22:30
Lights out before 23:00

Standard Student Rules

- Be punctual for all lessons, activities and roll calls
- Do not go into other houses
- Do not give your door code to anyone
- Do not smoke anywhere in the school buildings or grounds
- Do not play ball games near buildings and cars
- Do not invite other people into the house
- Do not have any food in your bedroom
- Do not take any food away from the school kitchen
- Do not accept anything from and do not go anywhere with strangers
- Do not leave premises unless on a trip or with a Teacher
- Do not go into the house kitchen
- Do not write graffiti
- Do not sit on cars
- Always close the front door in the house
- If you lose anything, the first place to look is lost property box in the office
- Only non-marking soles in the sports hall (check your shoes with BSC staff)
- Keep your bedroom and bathroom tidy

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Buddy Groups
Each staff member is assigned a group of students called a Buddy Group. Staff are directly responsible for
the welfare and happiness of the students in their Buddy Group. Make sure you:

- introduce yourself to them

- go through the school day/routine with them
- go through the school rules with them
- make sure they know they can ask you any questions/come to you for help
- check they are taking an active and full part in the programme
- constantly check on their welfare, especially the younger students, to ensure they are eating
properly, looking after personal hygiene, keeping their rooms tidy, etc

Your buddies should also know where to meet you at roll call and in the event of fire-alarm/drill.

Remember, it is in your interests to get your buddies to roll call on time. If you have an afternoon or evening
off, this does not begin until after roll call and you are satisfied your buddies are involved with the activity.

If you have individual students in your Buddy Group, make sure they are interacting with other students and
don’t miss out on important information.

Supervision Policy
BSC provides courses for students aged 8-17 years of age, although the majority should be between 12-16
years. Therefore, there are special legal requirements and practical considerations to be taken into account.

The Children Act 1989 states that anyone caring for a child under 16 years has responsibility for
safeguarding and promoting the child’s welfare.

Members of BSC staff must be adults aged 18 years or over. First and foremost, a member of staff is a
supervisor of children. Group Leaders can only be included in the supervisory ratios (as recommended by
BSC) for their own group, not for any others.

The British Council states that organisations running junior courses must have adequate supervision of all
scheduled activities. BSC management and staff must ensure that a supervisory ratio of at least 1:15 is
maintained at all times. For events off the school premises for students under 12 years old the ratio will be at
least 1:8 with a minimum of 2 supervisors.

There should be clear rules for what students can do outside scheduled Activity times. At all times, BSC staff
should know of the whereabouts of every child, which is why sign-up sheets are essential.

Activities on the School Premises

Maintaining a supervisory ratio of 1:15 means that even during lesson breaks or coffee breaks, there must
be one supervisor for every 15 juniors whether they are inside or outside the classroom.

If the junior is involved in any school-organised activity such as card games, disco, drama, BBQ etc. on the
school premises, the above ratio of one supervisor to 15 juniors still holds for all ages up to 16 years of age.

The British Council states that courses for students aged 16 and under will include a leisure programme
which BSC will adapt to the age of the participants and their broad interests. Students will be expected to
attend the leisure programme unless the school has signed agreement from a parent or guardian allowing
the student to absent him/herself from it.

Well run, safe and enjoyable schools are well-supervised schools. Supervision should be active – not
‘student watching’.

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The following points are important guidelines:

- Ensure that you know the whereabouts of all students.

- Students should be supervised at ALL times including moving orderly between activities and
mealtimes.
- Staff must be punctual for all duties.
- Ensure that the students follow the instructions of the staff.
- It is vital to supervise students at break times (e.g. tennis courts, sports areas, halls). This is
precisely when accidents can occur no matter how unlikely it may seem.

Activities off the Premises

For students aged from 12-16 the ratio of supervisors to juniors is the same as on the premises, that is, 1:15.
On excursions, however, it is considered good practice for a minimum of 2 supervisors to be available in
case of difficulties so that one supervisor can remain with the group whilst others seek help.

In the case of juniors under the age of 12 the supervisor:student ratio should be 1:8. There must be a
minimum of 2 supervisors available at all times. For example, a group of 4 children under 12 years of age
must be supervised by two people; a group of 12 children must also be supervised by 2 people.

In the case of mixed age groups the number of juniors falling in each range needs to be counted and the
appropriate calculations made. For example, in a group of 40 juniors aged between 10 and 16 years, if 20
are under 12 and 20 are over 12, the number of supervisors required would be three for the under 12s and
two for the over 12s.

In Loco Parentis
The ARELS Code of Practice states: ‘Schools are regarded as being ‘in loco parentis’ for juniors in their care
even when they are not engaged in a supervised activity.’ This means that organisations must know the
whereabouts of the students at all times.

Emergencies
There will be clear information on procedures in the case of emergencies. A 24-hour emergency telephone
number will be given in writing to all students. All students aged 16 and under will be issued with a BSC
identity card detailing what action is to be followed in the event of an emergency or other difficulty. Students
will be told to carry this card at all times. A contact number for the parents/guardians of all students will be
available.

Residential Accommodation
The British Council lay down a ratio of one adult for every 8 children under 12 and one for every 15 children
over 12. Adequate arrangements must be made for the care of any child left behind during the day because
of illness.

Management Supervisory Responsibility

At all times, a manager must be located in the course office. It is vital that a manager can be contacted by
phone. At night-time, one manager must be on duty every evening.

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Student Care
Group Relationships
All staff are responsible for ensuring that the students within their lessons and groups interact socially in
such a way that friendships develop. It is important that groups gel as quickly as possible. When the students
arrive they may come with brothers, sisters or friends, or they may come on their own. With this in mind it
must be recognised that sharing a room and participating in activities with complete strangers will be a
daunting prospect for some students.

It is vital that students are settled in and orientated to their new environment as soon after arrival as possible.
During lessons and activities, all students must be made to feel that they have played an active part and staff
should, where necessary, focus attention and encouragement on quieter members of the group.

Bullying
It is important that staff are aware of how to deal with bullying swiftly and effectively whilst maintaining the
overall group relationship. This may form part of your orientation programme.

Dealing with bullying can be considered in two stages:

1. Recognise: The bullying problem must firstly be identified. A bullied student will usually be withdrawn
and upset, may be prone to crying and over sensitivity and will probably suffer homesickness. A
bullied student may well develop behavioural problems and begin to bully other students.

2. Diffuse: Staff must deal with bullying as soon as it is recognised. The bullied student should firstly be
taken to one side in order to discuss the problem and assess the situation.

There are then three options available to staff:

1. Confront the bullies (bear in mind that this could make the situation worse)

2. Address the whole group about bullying in general

3. Refer to a senior member of staff - often, a gentle word from a member of the management team will
do the trick.

Fighting
Fighting must again be dealt with as quickly as possible. Staff should firstly separate those involved and
attempt to resolve the situation.

Intimate Relationships
Be aware of and monitor intimate relationships developing between students. Remember – under age sex is
illegal.

Health & Hygiene

You must ensure that staff and GLs s are aware that it is their responsibility that students in their group
regularly:

- change their clothes (especially underwear)

- wash themselves
- brush their teeth
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Sleep & Tiredness
It is important that students get adequate sleep. Fatigue can make students feel grumpy and lead to them
not enjoying themselves. Fatigue also affects safety standards on activities.

Homesickness
A student who is homesick will usually be withdrawn and uninterested in activities. They may lose their
appetite and become weepy. They will often complain of being lonely.

Homesickness is usually a temporary condition. Staff should bring the student to terms with the length of the
stay at the school. Point out the good things:

- making new friends

- participating in exciting activities
- learning new things

It is a good idea to find out what the student enjoys and endeavour to build relationships within the group. It
may be an idea to try to identify a sensible student in the group who can act as a mentor.

Attendance
This must be 100%. Absences create headaches with transport, replacement staff and all operations.

Manner
At all times, staff should be helpful, co-operative and friendly, whether dealing with students, Group Leaders
or other staff.

Use of Telephone
The BSC course office phone is restricted for the use of business related calls only. The course phone line is
an important point of contact for parents in the event of an emergency and should be kept clear as much as
possible. Students and GLs have access to payphones located around the campus. In case of emergency,
students should of course be allowed to use the course phone.

Damage, Monitoring & Reporting

Please be vigilant. The Centre Manager must be informed of any damage as soon as you notice it. If you feel
that valuable equipment has been left out by the school, inform the Centre Manager. This could involve
telephones (international students will be quick to phone home free of charge given the opportunity), sound
equipment and lighting etc. Please also ensure that any incident or damage, however minor, is reported in
writing to BSC Head Office via the Centre Manager who will provide an incident report sheet to be
completed.

9
General Responsibilities
Smoking
Smoking is not permitted at any time in front of students and is forbidden anywhere on the school campus.
However, there may be a dedicated smoking area which your Centre Manager will let you know about.

Alcohol
During your time off, you will often want to escape and this will sometimes mean a visit to the local pub. It is
imperative that all staff understand that they are ambassadors of the company regardless of being on or off
duty. Therefore, behaviour must always be impeccable. When returning to school, retire quickly and quietly
and do not disturb staff or students unless in the case of an emergency.

Please note: Staff on duty must not consume alcohol. Alcohol is strictly forbidden on school premises.

Drugs
Any illegal substance found in the possession of staff will mean instant dismissal and the involvement of the
police.

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences

Any illness or injury, however minor, must be reported to BSC Head Office and the Centre Manager.

Staff should be alert in relation to injuries or any dangerous occurrences. If they notice anything of concern, it
is their responsibility to report it to senior management and Head Office immediately.

Fire Precautions

Obstructions

Entrances and exits should be kept clear and unobstructed. Internal fire doors should be kept shut at all
times, even if this is inconvenient. Fire exit doors and internal fire doors should never be locked while the
buildings are occupied.

Notice Boards & Display Items

- Display items should be securely attached to surfaces and as close to the surface as possible
- Nothing should be hung from or near a light
- Ceilings should not be used for display
- There should be no display material:

- within half a metre of exit door or above any door

- within 30cm of fire alarm call points, central heating and vents, radiators, electrical sockets
- above high-risk equipment. (e.g. cookers, electrical heaters) or within 60cm or either side

Fire Drill

- The alarm should be raised immediately by any person suspecting that there is a fire
- A fire-drill will be operated weekly or when there is a new intake of students
- Students should be immediately guided out of the building in a calm fashion via the nearest exit
10
 - Staff should check all rooms/buildings without putting themselves in danger
- Students should be assembled in pre-designated areas at least 30 metres away from the building
- Student lists should be checked immediately
- The name of any suspected missing person should be communicated to the Centre Manager and
Fire Brigade immediately

Catering
This is an important issue for students and staff. Three meals per day are provided, with packed lunches on
excursions. During induction, you will normally meet the catering team and they will explain the menu and
dining room rules.

The caterers may be providing meals for several hundred students during meal times. Therefore, it is vital
that BSC students understand the system in the dining area so that queuing time is minimised for all.
Nominated BSC staff should be assisting students through the serving area each mealtime. Remember that
the school catering staff might not be used to communicating with international students so do not expect
them to assist students in the same way as you would.

Do:

- Insist on high standards of hygiene in kitchen/dining areas

- Ask students to wash hands every time they use the toilet and before a meal
- Be punctual for all meals
- Insist on orderly behaviour when hot food is being served
- Ensure that spilt foods/liquids are cleaned up immediately, especially from floors

Do not:

- Allow grubby plates/cutlery/tables/cloths to be used

- Allow students to all rush in at once to the dining area
- Allow horseplay near BBQs
- Allow students to light BBQs

11
Public Relations
BSC staff are the ambassadors of the company. The image of the company is of paramount importance and
great care should be taken to ensure that students are received and managed in an efficient, welcoming and
professional manner.

Two simple rules apply:

- The customer is always right

- Even if the customer is wrong – they are right

Be polite and obliging, but never to the extent of criticizing the company. If a client has a complaint, you
should be defensive, but never argumentative. Try to appease, using tact and diplomacy. Prepare your
approach and answers wherever possible.

Complaints
One problem with a summer school is that we do not have much contact with the person paying the bill.
Instead, we deal mainly with the "Pseudo Customer" - the student. Despite having a well-planned, well-
managed programme, some students/parents/agents may complain about the following:

- Food
- Staff/supervision
- Accommodation
- Transport
- Lost property
- Teaching
- Activities

Remember, complaints are the lifeblood of a successful service. We must benefit from the complaints that
we may receive - they must not be seen as negative. Three points to consider are:

- Most dissatisfied customers do not complain; they just don't come back!
- Complaints can be seen as a second chance to keep a customer
- A customer who has had an unpleasant experience will tell on average 9 or 10 other people

The vast majority of complaints can and should be dealt with by the Centre Manager during the time the
students are at school.

You may find the checklist below useful when dealing with complaints:

- Recognise the customer’s feelings and listen carefully

- Collect all the data and details
- Accept responsibility if appropriate - don't unnecessarily blame Head Office
- Find out what the customer wants, work out what you can do, and do it
- If there are things you can't do then say so and explain why
- Don't, whatever the provocation, argue with the customer
- Check the customer is satisfied
- Thank them for bringing the problem to your attention
- Work out what can be learned from the experience
- Make contact, if appropriate, with the customer at a later date

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Grievance Policy & Procedure
If you have a grievance of any description, we will aim to settle it promptly and fairly. The procedure to
follow is:

Stage 1

In the first instance you should put your grievance in writing to your line manager. If the grievance is
against your line manager, then you should approach that person’s line manager.

Stage 2

A formal meeting will be arranged by the manager to whom you made the grievance to discuss the issue.
After the meeting, the manager will inform you of the company’s response within 5 working days.

Stage 3

If your grievance is not resolved at Stage 2 of the procedure, you are entitled to appeal to the next level of
management. Their decision will be final and there is no further appeal or grievance mechanism within the
company beyond this. A formal meeting will be arranged between you and the relevant manager to discuss
the matter and you will be informed of their decision within 5 working days.

You have the right to bring a BSC staff member with you at any stage of the grievance procedure.

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Academic Programme Information
Lessons

Morning Classes

The majority of students follow a 15-hour per week General English course with lessons 5 mornings a week
from 9-11am and 11.30am-12.30pm.

The first lesson (9-11am) is the core class with an emphasis on vocabulary input, functional language,
listening and speaking. There is a wealth of resources on Bellbird and all TALs are strongly encouraged to
use it as much as possible. In addition, parts of the lessons should be devoted towards learning specific
information about an upcoming excursion.

The second class of the day (11.30-12.30pm) is a project class. Students work on a project for one week e.g.
a photo story, presentation, short play. The emphasis in these lessons is for students to use their English
actively in a relevant and meaningful way.

Intensive English Classes

Some students will follow a 23-hour per week ‘Intensive English’ programme, which adds 4 afternoons of
lessons from 2-4pm. TALs teach Intensive English classes on a rota basis. If a TAL is teaching in the
afternoons, they do not do activities on that day.

The afternoon class provides a further opportunity for weekly project lessons with the emphasis on improving
fluency and communication skills and finding/using the language necessary to complete a task. Successful
past projects have included questionnaires and school magazines.

Intensive English classes can be mixed ability, depending on student numbers. Care should be taken not to
repeat material/topics from morning classes.

Weekly Syllabus
TALs are provided with a weekly syllabus. Core themes/topics/vocabulary should be adhered to although
TALs are encouraged to supplement with their own material and resources. Course books should be handed
out one between two at the beginning of class and taken in at the end. Students should not write in the
course books. Each student is provided with a notebook and pen in their welcome pack and TALs should
encourage students to note down new vocabulary.

Alongside the course books BSC provides a range of supplementary photocopiable resource books.

Photocopying
Please only photocopy what you need as waste is both financially and environmentally unsound. Always
replace the photocopier card after use.

TALs should try to share copied activities, games and pictures as much as possible.

Registers
Registers must be completed in the first 15 minutes of class and a non-teaching member of staff will come
round to check attendance. It is not the TAL’s responsibility to locate missing students, only to report them to
the member of staff doing the classroom sweep.

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Weekly Plan / Record of Work
Weekly plans for both morning and afternoon classes must be completed in advance and handed in before
the beginning of each academic week.

The Record of Work must be completed each day and kept in the blue folder with the class register.

It is extremely important that both the Weekly Plan and Record of work are kept up to date as they contain
essential information in case a class needs to be covered.

Testing
Classes are set according to age and level with as mixed nationality as possible. Placement testing of new
students usually takes place on the day after arrival. This consists of a 45-minute multiple choice, a writing
and a short oral test. More weight is given to students speaking skills than grammar score when they are
placed.

TALs are expected to assist with the testing process as directed by the Academic Manager.

Reports / Certificates
When a student finishes a course they receive a certificate and a progress report completed by the core
class teacher. It is essential to complete reports by the time set by the AM so they may be checked and
collated for presentation at the leaving ceremony.

All reports must be typed and written in good English. There are examples on Bellbird.

Classroom Management
Students should be well behaved and respectful to staff other students at all times. Any problem students
should be reported to the Academic Manager.

Please be on time for all your lessons and ensure your students are also. You should be in the classroom
before the students. Do not finish lessons early. At the end of each class please ensure the classroom is
tidy, windows closed and all lights and equipment switched off.

Observations
TALs will be observed at least once from the second week. Please have outline lesson plan and copy of
materials to be used ready for the observer. It is unlikely the observer will be able to stay for the whole
lesson unless you specifically request it.

All the observation paperwork is on Bellbird. The AM will collate all observation work for Head Office
Records.

Social Programme Duties

The dedicated Activities Leaders team organise and set up the activities; TALs act in a supervisory role but
all TALs are expected to participate fully in the Social Programme. We do not require TALs to have specific
sporting or artistic skills but enthusiasm and a willingness to get involved are essential.

Please see below for full details of the social programme and what it entails.

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Social Programme Information
The Activity & Excursions Programme
The students that visit BSC centres buy a package of lessons and activities. Each student receives 15 hours
per week of lessons, combined with a full programme of afternoon and evening activities including 1 full day
and at least 1 half day excursion or visit per week.

The BSC programme consists of an interesting and lively blend of leisure and cultural activities and
excursion. This programme is an integral and inclusive element of the package we offer, and compulsory for
students at the centre. The Activity sessions are an opportunity for students to meet and talk, building on the
English skills that they learn in class and using them socially.

It is not simply a question of loading up buses and giving people footballs. Working as an AL in a summer
school also means pastoral care for students, boundless enthusiasm and the ability to motivate the students
and galvanise them into action.

Remember BSC runs activities at different times of the day; discos, sports, and art workshop activities are all
very different from each other, but all activities require the same type of enthusiasm, commitment and
participation from the staff to ensure that all Activity sessions are successful.

Dress Code
ALs are provided with “staff” orange t-shirts, which must be worn on all sessions worked. There should be a
laundry system for your uniform on-site but if you prefer to launder your own then please ensure you always
have a clean t-shirt ready. Respecting this dress code is important as students’ security will often depend on
it.

Defining a Successful AL
Participation – your participation is the easiest way to motivate the students and is essential to a successful
activity programme. If there are certain activities you prefer doing then make sure your Social Managers are
aware, this is also true of excursion destinations. However, you must be prepared to participate in a variety
of activities, as it is not always possible to be put on the rota for your preferred choice.

Organisational skills – to ensure that the main emphasis of each Activity is achieved – i.e. happy students
and happy Group Leaders. If the clients see the activity is well organised from start to finish, their confidence
in both the programme and ALs increases considerably.

Communication skills – enables staff to direct the activity, and create a positive atmosphere. Effective
communication allows everybody to understand what the activity will consist of, and the enthusiasm from the
AL will usually set the mood. Remember to always speak clearly and use concept questions to check
understanding. (Concept checking is asking questions to ensure that what you have just said has been
understood. For example, “We are meeting at 2.30pm to go to Madame Tussaud’s at the gatehouse”.
Questions you need to ask are: “What time are we meeting?” “Where are we meeting?” Simply asking a
student “Do you understand?” is not good enough, they nearly always say yes!)

Awareness of language levels – remember the students will have a range of English language abilities. Try
to adjust your language when giving instructions to both the students and the Group Leaders (speaking
slowly and clearly) and always concept check.

Punctuality – ensures that activities start and finish at the set times. This will enable you to maintain the
focus and direction of each particular activity.

Leadership skills – don’t be intimidated by your students. Always let them know that you are in charge of
the group and make sure that they can see that you are in control and managing a situation (even if you
don’t feel like it inside!).

16
Enthusiasm – a sense of fun partnered by a sense of responsibility to achieve the objective of the activity.
An endless supply of enthusiasm regardless of the task in question will assist in motivating the students to
apply themselves to the activity in question. Enthusiasm is always well received by students and Group
Leaders.

Willing – Always try to help students/Group Leaders with their requests, even if this means directing them to
the correct person to deal with their problem.

Patience – needs to be shown with students at all times; try to understand that summer schools are new to
the majority of students. The students are young, in a foreign country, and need understanding and patience
from BSC staff. This helps the students to feel comfortable in their new environment.

Diplomacy – vital at all times, because unlike in regular jobs, as an AL you are responsible for the client 24
hours a day. This is important for ALs as you deal with so many different nationalities at the same time with a
wide variety of cultural behaviours. Remember to be polite and diplomatic at all times.

Desire to work with students – a desire needs to be shown to the students that you want to spend time
with them, and get to know them, show an interest in their cultures and be careful not to show favouritism by
spending a lot of time with one group. This mainly involves being a people person and talking and listening to
the students, not just during Activity sessions but around the centre in general.

Meetings
Your EM/ActM will hold regular meetings throughout the week to pass on information you require to carry out
your job well. Some of these meetings may simply be a 5 minute get-together to make sure everyone knows
what is expected of them during the session. It is important to the general smooth running of the centre that
you attend.

In addition there is a whole staff weekly meeting that it is vital to attend. This gives the whole management
team a chance to pass on any information that is important for everyone.

Activities
In general, groups that have arrived together must be integrated with other groups at the centre for classes,
activities and local study visits, but prefer to stay together for the full day excursion. Activity groups will be
made up of several arrival groups or “Buddy Groups”. Organising the activity groups in this way ensures that
students are mixing socially outside of classrooms. It is generally the Social Managers who will arrange the
groups, with the Buddy Groups being clearly displayed on a notice board. ALs will then be instructed as to
which group they will be supervising during a particular session, how many people are in that group and a
register of names.

It is important that you are aware of the responsibilities in looking after students at our junior centres. We are
responsible for them at all times except when they are with the host family or in the company of the Group
Leader. This means that all activity sessions are compulsory for all students.

Organising Groups of Students

At your designated meeting points identify to the students which activity you are supervising. This is most
successfully done by using a sign clearly displaying the activity and the group assigned to it.

ALs / TALs should be standing in the meeting area waiting for the students to arrive for their activities, 10
minutes BEFORE the Activity is due to start. If the students are not waiting in their groups, staff should use
their initiative and seek out the students, do not expect the students to go directly to their meeting point – you
will have to communicate with them and ‘persuade’ them in the right direction! ALs should demonstrate their
Leadership skills by rounding up the students to enable each activity to begin at the correct time.
Once the students have been rounded up into their respective Activity groups the staff responsible for each
particular group should check the names list to ensure that all of the students are present.

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If some students are missing, make sure you advise the Social Managers (or nominated person) of who the
missing students are, (try not to make the whole group suffer, especially if there is a minority continuously
arriving late for activities). If there are 2 ALs allocated to one session, then one AL should start the session
whilst the other AL finishes rounding students up. If this is becoming time-consuming inform the Social
Managers and then join your session, your EM/ActM will continue the round up. If the Activity is off-site you
should wait until all students are accounted for.

Students should then be escorted to where the Activity will take place, ensuring that one staff member is
leading from the front and the other is at the back (where applicable) keeping the whole group together.

ALs should ensure that all activities begin on time and there is a specific structure to the activity. This will
enable most activities to maintain their momentum and ensure that the students have an enjoyable time.

Ensure that all the equipment is collected at the end of each activity and placed back in the storeroom. If the
students wish to use some equipment in their free time, ask for the room key (or ID card where there is no
room key) as a deposit and advise that when the students return the equipment the students’ room key/ID
card will then be returned. When equipment is hired the ‘Equipment Hire’ form must be completed.

Clearly, even the best planned and organised programme is pointless unless it is effectively promoted to
everyone who needs to know (students, Group Leaders, host families, relevant college staff and BSC centre
staff all need to know the programme in good time). The activity notice board should constantly be checked
and kept up to date, along with regularly updated posters around the centre.

Organising Sports Activities

When running a sports Activity it is important to structure the Activity well in order to maintain the students’
enthusiasm throughout. Sports activities can also be run in the evenings providing the light is sufficient.

The duration of Activity sessions is 3 hours in total with a half hour break to match the class times, which is
quite a long time to keep people motivated. Usually an activity session lasts for 1½ hours and the students
change activities after their break to add variety to their programme and maintain their interest. One way of
gaining the students’ interest in an activity for the whole session is to organise a competition with the winner /
winning team gaining an Activity Achievement Certificate. Sports such as football, volleyball, basketball and
softball have all proved to be successful in this format.

When organising competitions ensure that the teams are generally even, especially if there is quite a broad
age range of students. This will give all students an equal chance in the competitions and keep them
motivated. Some competitions may be on an international basis in which case students are more likely to
organise themselves (i.e. France vs Spain football match), however these should only be ‘friendly’ matches
and not organised as a daytime Activity.

If sports are of a high contact nature (such as football or touch rugby) make sure they are supervised well to
ensure students’ safety. Any accidents need to be reported and entered in to the Incident Log Book, kept in
the BSC office.

Sports sessions need to be structured with an introduction and warm up – certain tasks or goals during the
session and a conclusion. They are not simply the case of giving the students the necessary equipment and
letting them get on with it.

Do not just cater for the students who are keen on sports and always offer a variety of alternatives to the
sports activities in order to cater for everybody. Sometimes it is necessary for ALs to persuade students to
take part.

The key objective for activities should be for all of the students to enjoy the programme.

N.B. Never assume that all students know where all the activities take place, what time they begin, and
where the meeting point is. This should be done with a thorough site induction, posters on the notice boards,
and via ALs visiting each of the classes during the lessons to ensure that the students are aware of all the
activities that are planned.

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Organising Arts & Crafts and Other Non-Sporting Activities
Not all activities are of a sporting nature. The BSC activity programme also consists of such activity sessions
as workshops in drama, various types of art, treasure hunts and wide games amongst others. Non-sporting
activities vary much more from centre to centre according to the age range of the students and the facilities
available.

When supervising non-sporting sessions it is even more essential to be well prepared. You should ensure
that all necessary equipment is ready and in place to begin the session on time. If running an art workshop
don’t forget things such as water to clean brushes if necessary.

Some students are less interested in non-sporting activities therefore it is important to remain enthusiastic
throughout, participate fully, talk to the students and keep them motivated.

Non-sporting activities usually last for half an Activity session (i.e. 1½ hours), with students moving on to
another Activity after the break. Some activities may run over two halves (for example building a board game
and then playing it in session 2). All Activity sessions should finish on time, not ½ hour early or late. Cleaning
up time is not usually part of that time, however students can start to help clear if there is only 5 minutes left
for an Activity to run. You need to keep them supervised until they are allowed to go.

Before any Activity session that could result in college/school property getting dirtied, make sure everything
is covered (dust sheets are an essential item in the arts and crafts cupboard). This includes the table that
students may be painting/drawing/working on. If students are working on a carpeted floor then put a dust
sheet down to avoid paint marks. (NB: If you don’t have a proper dustsheet – improvise!)

Make sure there is water available if needed and if there are cups of dirty water to be cleared away at the
end of the activity, have a bucket or larger container to throw the water in and carry the liquid away in
(carrying small cups usually results in a spillage).

Always make sure the area you have been working in is left clean and tidy.

Organising Evening Activities

Clear and colourful posters are essential in advertising and promoting activities. These should include details
such as:

- what the activity involves

- location of the activity and meeting point
- the time the activity begins
- anything you need to bring

Evening activities usually take place between 7.30pm and 10.30pm. Typical BSC evening activities are as
follows:

- Themed disco
- Blind Date
- Quiz
- International Night
- Extravaganza
- Karaoke
- Talent show
- Fashion show

The requirements of the evenings are as follows:

- Always keep noise at reasonable levels, both during the evening and also once the students are
back in their rooms.

- No student may go off campus unsupervised.

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 - Often, a Group Leader may want to take their students out with them. In this case the Group Leader
will assume responsibility for their welfare and must sign a Group Disclaimer Form (available from
the Centre Manager) to this effect.

N.B. As with the afternoon activities, it is the animation of these activities that is essential. This means all
staff should be prepared to lead activities and inject enthusiasm at all times by being first to dance at the
disco, dressing up for fancy dress parties, helping with questions for quizzes and compering activities when
required. There should be no embarrassment factor!

Excursions
Each student participates in at least one half-day trip/visit and one full day trip each week. An optional full
day trip is usually offered at an additional cost. These excursion cost between £40 and £60 and require a
minimum number of students signing up in order to take place and a final date to submit payment to the
Social Managers (for a Sunday excursion this is normally the Wednesday of preceding week). The Social
Managers should liaise with the Operations Manager re: destinations and activities for the optional
excursion.

As for the organised excursions, BSC tries to give as much flexibility to Social Managers as possible. Head
Office will pre-book all coaches for all excursions with a local operator, and although bookings will often have
been made (e.g. at Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Sea World etc), many excursions, have no specific schedule.
Some destinations have pre-arranged events (e.g. River Cruise and suggested Walking Tour on London
excursions) but otherwise nothing is set in stone, so Social Managers are encouraged to use their initiative
and imagination when devising itineraries.

It is often a good idea to set an worksheet / questionnaire / quiz for students to complete during their visit
and it is the responsibility of the Social Managers and their team to devise these materials in collaboration
with TALs who may have useful input on language elements they would like students to practise.

All staff supervising excursions must make sure that they are fully prepared and have all the information they
need to run a successful excursion. This includes familiarising themselves with where they are visiting.

All of the information you need can be found on Bellbird. All ALs have the same login and password, if you
aren’t sure what it is, please ask the CM.

The attractions database should contain the following:

- Contact name, address, phone & fax number of attraction

- Booking procedure
- Method of payment (i.e. voucher, cash or cheque)
- Prices (both public, general group rates and BSC rates). As a rule, entry fees are included and pre-
paid for mandatory excursions but not included for optional excursions. Please consult the
Operations Manager at Head Office re all pricing questions.

Preparing for Excursions

All excursions are to be fully planned in advance by your manager with regard to routing, departure and
arrival times, lunch stops, places to be visited and return times. Copies of the itinerary should be given to
relevant staff, Group Leaders and coach companies in advance.

The Social Managers will brief all staff in good time before each trip. This briefing will cover all aspects of the
excursion including times, meeting points and itineraries. Each staff member will be allocated a coach and
destination at this briefing. A trip pack should be prepared to assist ALs on the trip and should contain all the
information they are likely to need.

The information packs should contain some or all of the following:

- A walking tour of the main places of interest, general tourist information

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 - Itineraries
- Practical information such as coach pick-up points, emergency telephone numbers
- Maps of the destination
- Student names lists
- Coach list

Coach behaviour – please ensure that students don’t move around the coach whilst it is in motion. Usually
coach companies prefer passengers not to eat or drink on the coach; enforce this sensibly since the students
can eat or drink when they step off the coach.(NB: If the weather is very hot you may need to negotiate the
drinking rule with the driver). Chewing gum is also prohibited. Make sure any packed lunches are stored out
of students’ reach and given out on arrival at the destination, not before or during the journey.

Excursions are usually to well-known places of cultural or historical interest and should be a mixture of
enjoyment and learning. BSC staff supervising excursions should familiarise themselves with venues and
sights, especially the walking tour, in order to guide students informatively round places where there is no
specialist guide and to provide further interesting information. It is your responsibility from the time of your
briefing to inform yourself on the destination and prepare thoroughly for the excursion.

One member of staff should be responsible for giving a guided commentary on the bus on historical and
local information. The minimum requirement would be to speak for 10-15 minutes before the group arrive.
This should include a review of the itinerary to make sure everyone knows what is happening. The Social
Managers will be able to supply the staff with all the necessary researched and prepared information. In
most cases this information will have already been prepared at the centre, however there is no substitute for
good local knowledge and supplementary information should be compiled wherever possible.

Excursions are usually led by at least two members of staff per coach. Group Leaders should not be
regarded as staff but may be asked to provide our staff with support as appropriate. Group Leaders are also
counted as part of the adult / junior supervision ratio. This ratio is one adult for each 8 children aged under
12 and at least one adult for each 15 junior students aged 12 and over.

Staff should stay with their students at all times including lunch times. If older students are given an hour of
free time, make sure that the meeting point and time are made quite clear, this should be done on the coach.
Free time should only be given if the students are in a safe, compact area with little danger of their getting
lost or into trouble.

We try to keep shopping time to a minimum so that it does not detract from the educational aspect of the
day, though shopping obviously gives students the opportunity to put their English into practice. Free time for
shopping should be discussed with the Group Leaders in advance and only given with their consent.

BSC staff on excursions should always be smartly presented, wearing their orange BSC shirt. They should
treat clients with respect and maintain a professional manner at all times.

Town / Walking Tours

When supervising/escorting students on a town/walking tour or to a place of interest that requires
information, it is important to be seen to be giving that information.

Use maps to guide you round the tour. Always check, if arriving by coach, where your arrival point is, as this
may differ from the coach park on your map, and if so, get your bearings and guide students to the starting
point for the tour. If there are two members of staff divide the students into two groups (make sure you have
two sets of any tour itineraries, map and guides), use Group Leaders or more mature students to bring up
the rear of each group. Leave a clear space between each group on the tour.

Before you start let students know that they will have time to buy souvenirs after the tour so as not to lose
anyone on the way round. If students have a worksheet to complete during the tour, make sure you are
aware of what is on the worksheet (there should be a copy in your excursion pack) and give students time to
complete it.

Guide students to each point highlighted on the map and wait until they are all assembled together before
you read the information provided. Speak clearly and slowly, wait for students to take photos if they want to
and then move on to the next point on the map.

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When you come to the last point on the tour make sure you give clear instructions of what the group are
doing next and, if necessary, where the meeting point and the time of meeting is, if the students have ‘free
time’ for shopping make sure they are supervised.

Vouchers
BSC has agreements with many places of interest to accept our voucher in lieu of cash or cheque and it is
essential that the staff supervising each excursion complete these correctly. The voucher is very simple to fill
in and you will receive full training. Where a voucher is not accepted a cheque or cash will be provided,
though generally entries will have been paid for in advance by Head Office.

Very rarely an attraction that is supposed to accept the voucher will refuse to do so, this may be because the
person at the entrance has never seen one before, or the attraction’s head office has forgotten to inform the
attraction. This situation is very easily rectified with a telephone call to your Excursions Manager who will
deal with the problem by calling the attraction themselves (if they have made the booking), or telephoning
HO for assistance.

However, whilst this situation is rectified you need to remain in control of the group. Explain that a phone call
is required to confirm the group and ask the group to wait together. Do not let anyone wander off and if you
feel the group is becoming impatient keep them amused by talking to them, providing information on the
attraction etc.

Optional Excursions
Optionals are operated to provide an alternative to the set BSC programme and usually include visits to less
cultural attractions such as Thorpe Park, Alton Towers and Chessington World of Adventures or alternative
evening activities such as ice skating or bowling. Some will be pre-planned and booked before the summer,
while some will be run at the request of a particular group and others may be the suggestion of the Excursion
Managers.

When students book to take part in an optional excursion, they must pay for it in advance. Otherwise, there
is the risk of booking the attraction and transport based on the number of people who have “said they wanted
to go”! If they then change their minds, you still have to pay for it. So, there will be a deadline for buying
tickets based on the coach company’s requirements and cancellation charges. As an AL it is your job to
promote optionals and encourage students to buy tickets before the allocated deadline.

Local optional activities such as bowling or ice-skating are all possible as long as the requisite preparation,
promotion, pricing and risk assessments are carried out in advance. It is also essential that the Operations
Manager is aware of these excursions and that regular communication is maintained with the local coach
operator regarding any changes to pre-arranged destinations on the booking form.

Dealing with Problems

Dealing with Students on the Tube/Public Transport

It can often be problematic taking a group of students on public transport, especially in the summer in and
around tourist areas, where crowds of people mean you have to be much more organised, alert and in
control.

Firstly always make sure, wherever possible, that the travel tickets are purchased in advance. This saves a
lot of time and looks much more organised.

Don’t give the students their own tickets, they will lose them. Keep all of the tickets yourself and allow the
students to be counted through the barriers (on the tube it is easier to use the barrier set aside for people
with luggage etc), this also means you are constantly counting the students and much more likely to notice if
one is missing. If there are two members of staff the other member of staff should be the last person through
the barrier. This is also applicable to bus and train journeys.
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If you are taking a group on the London Underground make sure all students stand well back, in as close a
group as possible before getting on a carriage. Don’t let them stand near the platform. This is where you
must be most alert, in control, and if necessary, strict, as this is the likeliest place for a student to get left
behind. Do not try to cram students in to a packed carriage, if necessary use other members of staff to divide
the group (especially useful during rush hour), so several carriages can be used, or wait for the next train.
Make sure all staff and students are aware of destinations etc. With the rule being that someone is appointed
to be the last person on to the tube, you should not be leaving people behind on the station.

Make sure students are kept together on public transport and, if possible, wander among them and remind
them of their destination.

The basic rules of escorting students on public transport, or in crowded places is to keep in control, be
organised, be alert at all times, constantly count the students and be strict.

Dealing with Students in Crowded Places

Again follow much of what is applicable to dealing with students on public transport. Constant checks,
student counts, awareness and good organisation are all essential. Give students full instructions on a well
located meeting point in case they get separated from the group. Make sure students have ID cards and
form a ‘Buddy’ system so no student is on their own. Any staff/Group Leaders with you should be dispersed
amongst the group as much as possible to cover all areas.

Losing a Student on an Excursion

This is not as commonplace as you may imagine, however when it does happen, it can cause considerable
disruption to the excursion and can have a big knock-on effect. (For example, a student is late back to the
coach, the coach driver is angry, coach driver has to leave as almost out of legal driving hours, whole group
late back, dining hall ready to close etc). Therefore anyone supervising n excursion must be well prepared,
aware of what procedures to follow and, most importantly, try to avoid the situation in the first place by
following some easy rules.

1. Make sure all students without exception, when going off-site at any time, have their student ID
cards with them. Always carry spares in your excursion pack. If a student does get lost, the ID card
will help them make contact with the centre or head office.

2. Make sure all students have a map which clearly displays the meeting point for departure along with
the time to meet (24 hour clock is preferable).

3. Concept check – this means constantly asking the students to tell you where the departure point is
and at what time to meet.

4. Before any group disperses re-iterate the departure meeting point and time. It is also worth making
sure that the students actually have access to the time within their group by means of a
watch/mobile phone etc. As some students’ level of English is very low the easiest way to make sure
they know what time to meet is by having a ‘clock’ to show them. (The ‘clock’ should form part of the
standard excursion pack).

5. Constantly count your students. Count them getting on the coach and once they are off the coach
and you are about to move off (students wander very easily, especially when souvenir shops are
nearby, let them know there is time allocated later for purchasing souvenirs). Count them in to
attractions, out of attractions and, certainly, count them back on to the coach with one more final
head count inside the coach before the coach moves off.

6. As mentioned before, especially if the group is big (15 plus), it is sometimes better to divide the
group in to smaller, more manageable groups, using the staff you have. (During any free time the
Group Leaders accompanying the excursion can also be counted in to the equation, although they
are only likely to be interested in supervising their own students). This enables you to be more aware
of who is/isn’t with you. The ‘Buddy’ system is also a great way of ensuring that the students have
their own look out system. Individuals should be supervised by BSC staff at all times.
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However, if all these preventative measures fail and a student does go missing and doesn’t return to the
departure point on time then follow the procedures below to lessen the disruption for the rest of the group.

1. Identify who the missing student is and if they have a mobile.

2. Wait up to 30 minutes after the meeting time at the allocated departure meeting point. (Students are
usually late as opposed to lost). Make sure that the rest of the group is aware of why they are being
asked to wait.

3. If after 30 minutes there is no sign of the student(s), check with the coach driver (if on a coach
excursion) concerning his hours and how long he is prepared to wait (the longer the better but after
an hour you have to start considering the rest of the group) and formally apologise to the rest of the
group. (Make sure you keep the rest of the group on the coach or together, do not let them wander
off too!). Now is the time to inform the centre. If you do not have a coach and are using public
transport, then after 30 minutes you could consider sending the rest of the group back to the centre,
but only with another member of staff or a competent and willing Group Leader.

4. If the rest of the group have to leave due to coach restrictions (usually after about 1 hour), then try to
keep back preferably the Group Leader of the missing student(s) or another student of the same
nationality whose English is high enough, in case there are any language problems later. Contact the
centre and let them know that the rest of the group are on their way back, and that you are staying
behind to wait for the student(s), (NB: check you have sufficient funds on you to get both you and the
student(s) back to the centre on public transport) so that the centre can keep the dining hall up to
date. Make sure the centre has your mobile number so that they can call you if the missing
student(s) contacts the centre directly. At this stage the centre management team should contact
Head Office via the emergency phone and make them aware of the situation too. Quite often a
student will call home and the parent will call the travel agent involved who will then contact HO,
therefore HO needs to be aware, as they are often the first to find out the student’s whereabouts.

5. If after 2 hours there is still no sign of the missing student(s) then the centre should re-inform their
head office via the emergency telephone and take instructions accordingly. It doesn’t usually get to
this stage; the importance of the student ID cards cannot be expressed enough!

A Student Is Caught Shoplifting

This situation can vary according to several factors including the shops’ rules and regulations on shoplifters,
whether police are contacted or not and what exactly is stolen.

Usually shoplifters caught by store or security staff are detained in an area away from the rest of the
shoppers, the police are called and a report is filed. If police request that a student be deported there is
nothing BSC can do. However, in all cases the senior management at the centre must be contacted who, in
turn, will inform Head Office.

Wherever possible, a member of the BSC staff must stay with the student, although it may only be possible
for a Group Leader to stay. If the student’s level of language is very low another speaker of the same
language may be helpful. In all cases the student will receive a minimum of a written warning on return to the
centre and an incident report must be written.

Motivating the Students

Activities are compulsory. Many students feel that the Activity sessions (particularly the on-site activities) are
a time for them to relax with their friends or catch up on their sleep in their rooms; it is not. For health and
safety reasons we must know where students are at all times, therefore sign-up sheets are essential.
Generally students have plenty of time to do their own thing and relax with their friends (break times, after
meals and in the evenings when activities are more socially orientated). Therefore if a student doesn’t show
up for an activity session then it must be reported immediately to the Social Managers (or nominated person)
who will deal with it, whilst you continue with the activity in question.

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Motivating the students to take part in an activity session, and then keeping them motivated, is key to any
activity role. It is essential to show enthusiasm for the activity you are on rota for (even if you don’t feel it!),
your enthusiasm will hopefully have an impact on the students. You must PARTICIPATE in the sessions
yourself, students like nothing more than a member of staff making a fool of themselves and will certainly not
stay interested when the AL is sitting at the side of the tennis court reading a newspaper!

Mingle – it is essential you move among the students and make sure that each one gets your attention. If
you focus on a small group of students you will soon notice that the rest of the group have lost interest and
perhaps even wandered off.

Communicate with the students. Many of the students are only a few years younger than a lot of ALs (and
many are much taller!) and this can be intimidating to some people. However the more you get to know the
students the easier your role will be and the students themselves will automatically be much more willing to
participate.

Disciplining Students
If a student(s) misbehaves during an activity session and you feel that the behaviour is detrimental to the
activity you should remove the student(s) from the session and escort them to one of the management staff
to deal with. In an ideal scenario there should be another member of staff to supervise the students left
behind, if not make sure the remaining students are safe and let them know you will be returning shortly and
to continue with the session in your absence.

If you are off-site then make sure the student(s) is escorted to the office and the student(s) behaviour is
reported immediately upon return. For any disruptive behaviour, you will have to complete a short incident
report.

If a student refuses to go and see a member of the management staff, do not force them. Simply ask the
student to leave the activity session (if necessary) and report the student to the management staff after the
session has finished. If the student refuses to leave the activity and the activity is unable to continue with
him/her there then seek help. (Don’t worry about a student running off – they are easy to find on a residential
campus, they have to eat at some time!). Under no circumstances should you grab, slap or use any type of
physical force on a student. If a student uses physical force against you do not react – speak to a member of
the management staff immediately (please note that this is very rare).

There is a standard disciplinary procedure that we have in place in our summer schools which your Centre
Manager will make you aware of.

The Language Barrier

Sometimes activity staff find the language barrier between themselves and the students more difficult to deal
with than the teaching staff. It is important to realise that it is actually very rare to find students who have no
knowledge of English at all – most students have a basic comprehension. However, it is very common to find
students who pretend to understand nothing simply to get out of participating or to avoid doing what you ask.

In an important situation (for example when giving instructions) you should always make sure the student(s)
understands what you are trying to say. This can be done by speaking simply and clearly, concept checking,
drawing or writing, or asking a person who speaks the same language to translate. However it must be
remembered that students are attending a summer school in the UK to improve their English therefore
translation should not be used unless absolutely necessary.

Using gestures/mime is an excellent way of demonstrating what you want a student to do. If you speak the
student’s language try to avoid using it as it is of no help to them in improving their English, and they will
insist in speaking to you in their first language throughout their stay once they realise you can understand
them.

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Activities Finishing Long Before the Session Is Due to Finish
Sometimes, perhaps due to student motivation or the appearance of rain for example, an activity session
finishes earlier than expected. It is essential to have a set of ‘stand-by’ activities on hand. These are shorter
activities to keep the students occupied until the session is over. Each centre should be equipped with a
selection of stand-by activities, along with brief instructions on how to run them. As an AL you must make
yourself aware of these activities and it is advisable to make sure that anything needed to run the Activity is
readily available.

For health and safety reasons, at no time should students be allowed to wander away from sessions or be
unsupervised at any time during a session.

Punctuality
Always arrive 10 minutes before the activity is due to start.

Be prepared with a sign, if necessary, to highlight the activity you are supervising, if there are two of you then
the easiest way to round up students is for one to stand in one place with the appropriate sign, and for the
other AL to wander amongst the students ‘herding’ them towards their activity meeting points.

If students are late (which happens frequently), one AL should start the session whilst the other rounds up
the missing students. If rounding up the missing students is proving too time consuming then simply inform
the Social Managers and they will deal with the late/missing students.

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Residential Duties
As well as doing on-site activities and excursions with the students one of your 13 sessions will be made up
of 4 x 45 minute meal or bedtime duties. All staff are put on the rota for these duties.

Meal Time Supervision

All staff will be placed on the rota for occasional supervision of students during lunch and dinner times.
Depending on the centre staff may be required to:

- Hand out meal tickets.

- Ensure that students are queuing in an orderly fashion.
- Ensure that students are not taking too much food or going through more than once.
- Ensuring that students put their trays back in the correct area once they have finished dining.

The meal time rota will be produced by the Centre Manager each week and will normally require staff to do a
45 minute duty once or twice a week.

Wake Up Duty
Normally one person per house is on wake up duty each day. Staff need to make sure students are up,
washed, dressed and down for breakfast at the appropriate hour. Staff should not go into the students’
bedrooms but check them off the room list as they go down to the dining hall.

Bed Time Supervision

Staff who are working an evening activity will be required to ensure that students return to their
accommodation blocks once the evening activity has finished.

Bed time supervision will normally last for 45 minutes after the students have returned to their
accommodation blocks. The Centre Manager will produce a weekly bedtime supervision rota and residential
staff should expect to be on this rota once or twice a week.

It is important to set the standard of supervision from the outset so that students and Leaders understand
that staff are in control and that any misbehaviour will be dealt with. This should be presented in a positive,
caring way but as soon as any misbehaviour/damage occurs, it should be responded to immediately. In that
way things will run smoothly and there will be fewer instances of damage and excessive noise that can
cause problems with the school or college.

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 Thinking in English
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