Education | Higher education » Joseph Chamberlain, Student Handbook

Student Handbook 2020-2021 Contents Page Number Section 1 Introduction A Message from the Principal 4 Our Purpose & Core Values 5 Key staff 6 The role of the progress tutor 7 Term dates 11 Section 2 Attendance, punctuality and behaviour Student Charter ‘The JCC 10’ 13 Student Behaviour 15 Student Attendance & Punctuality 16 Section 3 Safeguarding and Wellbeing Safeguarding and Well-being 19 Useful Agency Numbers 21 Internet & Mobile Safety 22 Section 4 Other information Student Council 29 2 Section 1. Introduction 3 A Message from the Principal. Dear Student, Welcome to Joseph Chamberlain College and congratulations on securing your place here. We are delighted that you have joined us and are very much looking forward to working with you during the next stage of your education. You will already be aware of how Joseph Chamberlain College has built a reputation for the outstanding achievements of our students. As a new student of the

College, you will have to opportunity to be equally successful and to achieve equally fantastic things while you are here. You will receive teaching of the highest quality and you will be supported superbly by many other staff, including your Personal Progress Tutor and Academic Learning Coaches. You will have access to excellent facilities and to everything you need for your studies. In addition, you will have the opportunity to take part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities that will enhance your experience here, help to build your confidence and add a great deal to your profile for both your university application and for future employment. Given everything that has gone on this year, it will be no surprise to you that College will run in a slightly different way for the near future. Initially, you will be taught by a mixture of face to face and online lessons but please be assured that everything will be explained to you when you join us. We want you to do exceptionally

well but this also requires tremendous commitment from you. We hope that you are ambitious for yourself and aspire to do your very best while you are here. We hope that you have great plans for your future and will therefore work very hard over the next few years. Our expectations are very high – we expect you to attend all of your lessons and be on time for them. We expect you to complete all of the work set for you and to put in additional hours of independent study. You will find more freedom here than in school but we want you to use that freedom wisely to complete your studies. If you do all of this, you have every chance of securing a fantastic university place and every chance of setting yourself up for a rewarding future career. The atmosphere at Joseph Chamberlain College is extremely positive and we are known for our friendliness and strong sense of community. We respect each other and pride ourselves on the fact that our students and staff come from a wide range of

backgrounds. I am certain that you will make some great new friends here and enjoy the company of like-minded students who want to do well. You are here because, of the hundreds that applied, you impressed us with your determination to do the best you can. I hope that you make the most of your time with us and I am really looking forward to celebrating you success with you here at Joseph Chamberlain College. With my best wishes, Tony Day Principal. 4 Our Purpose – what we are here to do: To provide an exceptional learning experience for all of our students, raising their aspirations and improving their achievements so that they can enjoy a level of success in later life that realises their highest ambitions. Our Core Values All leaders, staff and students should role model our core values in everything we do, using them to recognise and reinforce positive behaviours and to set clear expectations of others. Excellence and Ambition Cooperation and Communication Equality and

Recognition Everything we do is focused on improving the student learning experience. We work together as a team for the benefit of the college. We value diversity and inclusivity and let this underpin all we do, treating people with respect and fairness. We have high ambitions, expectations and commit to excellence in everything we do. We learn from our own and each other’s mistakes and successes, taking responsibility for our actions. We value and recognise everyone’s work and the individual contribution they make to the lives of students. We demonstrate a ‘can do’ attitude, embracing the need for continuous improvement and positive change. We are professionally honest with each other and create trust through effective relationships and transparent communication. We display loyalty to and pride in our College and its students. 5 Key Staff Tony Day Principal Damian Brant Vice Principal Helen Cordell-Graham Director of Studies Sam Bills Senior Progression

Manager Laura Ellis Inclusive Learning Support Manager /SENCO Kal Kunor Director of Studies Jo Lawrence Vice Principal George Stylianou Director of Studies Naveed Ahmed Lisa Barton Progression Manager Safeguarding Officer Lorretta Starling College Nurse Jas Lall Careers and Employability Coordinator Olivia Edmonds Learning Centre Manager Yvonne Hoyte Careers and Employability Coordinator 6 The Role of The Personal Progress Tutor You will have a personal progress tutor who will help you to reach your full potential. There role is to; 1. Monitor your attendance, punctuality and behaviour 2. Hold 1:1 meetings with you to find out what support you may need 3. Update your parents regularly through email, text message, phone call or face to face meetings 4. Provide you with regular guidance and support 5. Help you to develop your skills for work and life 6. Support you to progress onto University/Apprenticeships or employment 72 7 JCC TUTORIAL PROGRAMME

Characteristics of a Successful Student As a JCC Student I am 1. Knowledgeable 2. Motivated 3. Responsible 4. Resilient 5. Confident 6. Respectful 7. Reflective 8. Independent 9. Proud 10. Happy 8 Personal Progress Tutors Sam Bills 07766 737 428 SBills@jcc.acuk Naveed Ahmed 07766 738 769 NAhmed@jcc.acuk Grace Highfield 07827 926 031 GHighfield@jcc.acuk Alistair Crisp 07827 925 834 ACrisp@jcc.acuk Aroosa Liaqat 07827 925 810 ALiaqat@jcc.acuk Emily Prince 07501 233 584 EPrince@jcc.acuk Fehzan Abdullah 07827 925 748 FAbdullah@jcc.acuk Haliima Ali 07826 344 156 HAli@jcc.acuk Aneesa Rehman 07766 737 348 AARehman@jcc.acuk Katie Schilling 0121 446 2200 ext 268 KSchilling@jcc.acuk Laura Elliott 07827 925 725 LElliott@jcc.acuk Sameel Hussain 07766 740 323 SHussain11@jcc.acuk 9 Personal Progress Tutors Mohammed Khalil 07826 344 039 MKhalil@jcc.acuk Chloe O’Neill 07501 233 312 CO’Neill@jcc.acuk Mollie Gates 07826 343 732 MGates@jcc.acuk Ruqayyah Butt 07827 925 819

RButt@jcc.acuk Sophie Hobbs 07501 233 390 SHobbs@jcc.acuk Usman Amin 07826 343 352 UAmin@jcc.acuk Student Support Student Service Adviser Adviser Katie Banks 0121 446 2200 ext 395 KBanks@jcc.acuk Hannah Geoghegan 0121 446 2200 ext 218 studentservices@jcc.acuk 10 Term Dates Autumn Term 2020 Tuesday 1st September 2020 – Friday 18th December 2020 Wednesday 9th September – Lessons begin (Half Term Holiday: Monday 26th October – Friday 30th October) Spring Term 2021 Monday 4th January 2021 – Friday 2nd April 2021 (Half Term Holiday: Friday 12th February – Friday 19th February) Summer Term 2021 Monday 19th April 2021– Wednesday 24th June 2021 (Half Term Holiday: Monday 31st May – Friday 4th June) The College does not authorise taking holidays during term time. Keeping in touch: @JCSFCollege @JCSFCollege /josephchamberlaincollege Joseph Chamberlain Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College 1 Belgrave Road Birmingham B12 9FF 0121 446

2200 11 Section 2. Attendance, punctuality and behaviour 12 STUDENT CHARTER THE JCC10 As a student of Joseph Chamberlain College, you agree to: 1 2 3 Attend 100% of your lessons on time Be prepared to learn with the correct equipment Respect our staff, students and their right to learn 4 Have high expectations and take responsibility for your own learning 5 Meet all work deadlines and reflect on the feedback you are given 6 7 8 9 10 Be aware, be safe in college and online Be proud of our College community Express your opinions and let others do the same Care for our college environment Make the most of your time at college 13 Student Charter ‘The JCC10’ At JCC we believe in entering into a partnership with every single student that walks through our doors – there is no ‘them and us’. Staff and students work as a team. At JCC our part of the deal is that we aim to provide you with high quality teaching and learning in return we expect high levels

of professionalism from you. What we will do. Deliver lessons that start and finish on time. Both you and your parents will be informed of your attendance and punctuality. What we expect from you the ‘Student Charter The JCC10’ Attend 100% of your lessons on time Offer you a variety of learning and teaching methods that will engage and challenge you to exceed your target grade. Be prepared to learn with the correct equipment Create a learning environment where all students have equal access to learn Respect staff, students and their right to learn Monitor your progress so that you achieve or exceed your target grade. Your parents will be given access to ProPortal so they can check your attendance, punctuality and progress made. Have high expectations and take responsibility for your own learning Give you work to complete so you are assessed on a regular basis with detailed feedback Meet all work deadlines and reflect on the feedback you are given College staff will be

available for you to speak to in particular you can always speak to personal progress tutor. Be aware, be safe in college and online Provide you with the skills to develop as an individual and offer you opportunities to represent the college in sports or academic competitions. Be proud of our college community We will listen to your views and communicate effectively Express your opinions and let others do the same The College is committed to a culture of equality, respect and celebrating diversity Care for our college environment We will provide you with a safe, secure and clean environment. We use CCTV for your security Make the most of your time at college 14 Student Behaviour That Supports Learning We want to be able to build a professional working relationship with you, but we can only do this if you are prepared to make a commitment to behave in a mature manner whilst studying with us. The emphasis is on personal responsibility and you should be prepared to take

responsibility for all that you do. We believe that students should always be given the opportunity to repair any poor or inappropriate behaviour and that they want to do this. When you signed your enrolment form and learning agreement, it means that you agree to follow the Student Charter ‘The JCC10’ For significant incidents of poor behaviour we may ask your parents to come into college to discuss how we can support and modify your behaviour. Please click here to read the Student Behaviour Policy. 15 Student Attendance and Punctuality Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form college expects all students to have an attendance and punctuality of at least 95% Your Personal Progress Tutor will speak to you on a regular basis about any difficulties you raise relating to your attendance or punctuality. They will also review your attendance and punctuality on a weekly basis and speak to you privately if there are any patterns of unsatisfactory attendance or punctuality beginning to occur or

if any of your subject teachers pass on any concerns. Your parents maybe emailed if you miss or are late to lessons. Poor attendance and punctuality could affect your chance of progressing to the second year of your course. Frequently asked questions - What if I am going to be absent from college Your parents are expected to ring the college absence line 0121 446 2200 before 9am stating your name, your id number and reason for absence. They can also send an email to absence@jccacuk I am going to be late to a lesson Still attend the lesson but explain to the teacher the reason for your lateness. I am going on an extended leave during term time This will not be authorised however your parents will need to write a letter addressed to the Principal with a copy of the tickets. Your parents may be invited in for a meeting. I have a doctor’s/dentist appointment If you provide evidence of this appointment to your tutor this could be authorised however avoid making appointments when you have

a lesson. I have a part time job which means I will miss lessons This will not be authorised although we do encourage students to work part time but no more than 10 hours a week. I am carer which means I may be late or even miss some lessons Speak to your progress tutor in the first instance to see how we can support you with your attendance and punctuality. For more information please click here to read the student attendance and punctuality policy. 16 Rewards We believe in students work best when they are offered praise. This can be offered in many ways: 1. Verbal praise offered by class teacher/progress tutor 2. Praise postcard sent home 3. Parents informed by email, telephone or a text message 4. Termly certificates offered for very high attendance and punctuality 5. Attendance at the end of year college trip 6. Annual student awards evening 17 17 Section 3. Safeguarding and Well-being 18 Safeguarding and Well-being We endeavour to maintain our reputation

for putting our students’ safety at the forefront of everything we do here at JCC. We encourage you as students to follow safe, industry-led practices. For example, when you are working with chemicals, equipment, or out of College on a work placement, you will be given clear instructions by your teachers and assessors about how to maintain your safety and the safety of those around you. We also ask all students to be conscious of the safety of others whilst in College, for example, by not running along the corridors. If you have any concerns in relation to physical, emotional or sexual abuse, neglect, sexual exploitation, female genital mutilation, radicalisation, forced and honour-based violence, domestic violence or e-safety, you should report these concerns to a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) , your progress tutor or teacher. Staying Safe Online The internet can be a useful resource to help you with your studies but there are also precautions you need to take. • Please

click on the link www.thinkuknowcouk which will give you information on topics like • Selfies and social media • Sextexting • Online gaming • Dealing with pressure online • Abusive relationships • Consent • Live streaming • How do I get something taken down from a site on social media 19 Meet Your Safeguarding Team Don’t suffer in silence, we can help. Jo Lawrence Vice Principal, DSL JLawrence@jcc.acuk Naveed Ahmed Kal Kunor Director of Studies KKunor@jcc.acuk Yvonne Hoyte Progression Manager NAhmed@jcc.acuk Careers and Employability Coordinator YHoyte@jcc.acuk Katie Banks Laura Ellis Student Support Adviser KBanks@jcc.acuk SENCO Manager LEllis@jcc.acuk Sam Bills Senior Progression Manager SBills@jcc.acuk Lisa Barton Safeguarding Officer LBarton@jcc.acuk 07766 551 123 Lorretta Starling 20 College Nurse LStarling@jcc.acuk Useful Agency Numbers • Child line is a counselling service for children and young people up to their 19th birthday in

the United Kingdom provided by the NSPCC. Ring 0800 1111 wwwchildlineorguk • Pause Café. Forward Thinking Birmingham - its a little bit different to other mental health services you might have experienced. The best bit about Pause is you dont need an appointment; you can simply drop in for a chat. Ring 0300 300 0099 www.forwardthinkingbirminghamorguk • Young Minds supports young people with their mental health. Text YM to 85258 or visit www.youngmindsorguk • PAPYRUS – is a charity for the prevention of young suicide Ring 0121 437 0411 or visit www.papyrus-ukorg • Barnardo’s supporting young people to have better futures. Ring Childline on 0800 1111or visit www.barnardosorguk • St Basils works with young people to enable them to find and keep a home, grow their confidence, develop their skills, increase opportunities and prevent homelessness. Ring 0121 772 2483 www.stbasilsorguk • Karma NirvanaSupporting victims of honour-based abuse and forced marriage. Ring

08005999247 wwwkarmanirvanaorguk • FORWARD (Foundation for Women’s Health Research and Development) –is the leading African women-led organisation working to end violence against women and girls. They can support girls who have undergone FGM. Ring 020 8960 4000 or visit www.forwardukorguk • Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aidsupports women and children affected by domestic violence and abuse in the Birmingham and Solihull area. Ring 0121 685 8550 or visit www.bswaidorg • Hope for Justicesupport and advice about modern slavery 0300 008 8000 or visit www.hopeforjusticeorg/uk • Victim Support is an independent charity that provides specialist practical and emotional support to victims and witnesses of crime. Ring 0845 303 0900 or visit www.victimsupportorguk • Police101 non-emergency. 999 Emergency only 21 Mobile Phone Safety Things you can do if you are being bullied through your phone: ▪ Dont reply to any abusive messages you receive ▪ Keep the messages that you

have been sent so that you can show someone ▪ Don’t answer any calls that are from a withheld number, or from a number you don’t know ▪ Change your mobile number and only give your number to close friends ▪ If the problem is serious, tell the police ▪ Mobile phone operators can’t block a particular number from contacting another phone. But you can do this on some handsets. Check your phone handbook to see if yours can. They can only take action about the bully’s account, such as blocking it, if the police are involved ▪ Keep your phone with you at all times. If you are worried about someone taking it at college or if you are out, leave it at home. ▪ Only give your mobile number to your friends and people that you trust ▪ Dont lend your phone to someone you dont know or trust, or put it in a place where other people could get hold of it ▪ Most phones allow you to lock your phone with a PIN code. If you dont have the code you cant unlock it, so if anyone steals

your phone they wont be able to use it ▪ If someone is pressuring you into giving them your number, tell someone about it such as your Personal Progress Tutor or a parent/carer ▪ If you have Bluetooth on your phone, keep this switched off when you are not using it What can I do if someone is bullying me through my mobile? Its now quite easy for mobile phone companies to trace the identity of anyone who is sending abusive text messages. If you are being bullied and receiving abusive or threatening language on your mobile tell someone, like a parent or Personal Progress Tutor, who can help you put a stop to this. All UK mobile companies are used to dealing with nuisance calls and have people who you can call who can help you deal with this. 22 Inclusive Learning Support for Students with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities How do we support you? • We encourage and promote the use of Assistive Technology so students can gain independence in their studies. • Monthly

Wellbeing Cafes to support students with balancing their mental health and the demands of college and offering positive thinking & wellbeing tips. • Provide you with a dedicated space to escape the hustle and bustle of the college offering a place for students to work in near silence with likeminded individuals when the fast pace of college might become overwhelming or hard to cope with. • Assign a dedicated Key Worker who can act as a go-to person throughout your time at college. • Create an individualised support plan or One Page Profile, which is developed between you and your key worker at the beginning of the academic year. This is maintained throughout the year to ensure your needs and required support arrangements are clearly reported to your teachers and other relevant staff/professionals. • Provide you with a qualified on site Access Arrangements Specialist to ensure you are supported appropriately during exams and assessments throughout your time at college. 23

The Futures Team The Futures Team are based at the hub of the college and are on hand to support you with planning your next steps to achieve your career aspirations. Whether it is applying to university, finding out about the range of apprenticeships available or securing paid employment our team will be able to help. As a team we are committed to preparing you for life after you leave us. Our information advice and guidance service includes • Drop-in sessions and one-to-one career guidance to help you plan your career pathway • Support with all things HE including selecting the right course, completing a personal statement and student finance • Advice on apprenticeships and routes into employment – we can help with CVs, applications and interview techniques The Futures Team is located- in the main Library and is open to students between 08:30am and 4.00pm You can email futuresteam@jccacuk to book an appointment. Jas Lall Careers and Employability Coordinator Yvonne

Hoyte Careers and Employability Coordinator Frances Tulley Careers Assistant 24 College Library The library has a range of texts and resources that will support you throughout your College journey, including: • Set texts and key textbooks for individual subjects • A wide range of journals and magazines that may be subject specific or of general interest. • Many different University prospectuses and information on apprenticeships. • You will be allowed to borrow up to 10 resources at any one time. . We are online! For all the latest news, reviews, competitions and more, follow us @JCCLcentre 25 Being a Young Carer Joseph Chamberlain College acknowledges that some students will be classed as carers and have extra responsibility for the welfare a parent, sibling or extended family member. The college is committed to helping these students balance their study and caring commitments and will do this in several ways. • If appropriate, communicate with your feeder

school for an initial handover • Provide confidential advice and emotional support to help with your caring role. • Provide guidance and support with bursary applications and travel. • Compile an ongoing Support Plan in relation to your studies • Meet with you regularly and provide ongoing support. • Issue you with a Young Carers Card • Help you access external support services, such as YMCA or Spurgeons or mental health and wellbeing services. • Click on the link to find out more about Spurgeons www.spurgeonsorg 26 Prevent The Prevent duty is the duty in the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 whereby we as a college work with young people to prevent them from being drawn into terrorism and extremism. If you have any concerns, either in relation to your own situation, or that of other students, please speak to any member of staff. Health & Safety We are committed to ensuring that all who use the College do so in a safe manner and that every step is

taken to minimise risks to Health and Safety. As part of your induction you will be given guidelines on Health and Safety and it is vital that you follow these. Students must abide by various departmental Health and Safety regulations which govern activities in the science laboratories, sports hall, dance studio and art classrooms. Disability Access If you have any special requirements resulting from any form of restricted mobility or visual impairment please speak to your Personal Progress Tutor in the first instance. They will discuss what arrangements can be made to meet your particular needs. First aid/illness at college In case of an accident, please go to reception and ask for a first aider or the college nurse. The College needs to know about any accidents occurring in the College grounds so please report any accidents to reception so they can be recorded. If you are at College and feel you have to go home early you will need to see Loretta Starling (next to site services)

and Loretta may ask you to see your Personal Progress Tutor for permission to go home. Smoking Smoking is not permitted anywhere within the College, except in the designated smoking area. This includes electronic cigarettes/ vapours/ eliquids Student Finance/Bursary All Sixth Form students aged 16–18 are welcome to apply for additional funding to support their studies. The office is ground floor by the main hall They can offer you information regarding student finance and how to apply for a bursary. Click below to apply for the bursary www.jccacuk/students/pastoral/student-bursaries/ All bursary awards will be regularly reviewed and payments will be dependent on student’s attendance, punctuality, work rate and behaviour. 26 Section 4. Other Information 28 Other information Exams The Exams office is located on the ground floor by the hall. If you have any queries about your enrolment, exam results and exam clashes or your exam certificates please speak to staff.

Keeping us up to date It is important that all the information we hold about you is accurate and up to date. If your address, phone number or mobile phone number changes, then please tell your Personal Progress Tutor. Email Email is an important communication in College, so it is important that you check your College email daily. Only use the College email system for College communications to reduce the possibility of viruses entering the College network. Remember that writing and sending an email carries the same level of personal responsibility as writing a letter. Do not write anything that you wouldn’t want your parents/carers to see. College Computer Network You will have access to our networked facilities. You will have your own log on details giving access to our personalised on-line learning environment. Here you will find resources to enhance your learning in the subjects that you choose. The network provides a storage area for your documents and internet access as well

as a range of College software. You can access the college network using your own laptop Please note: JCC uses software to monitor all our computers in college. This is for your safety and security. 28 Plagiarism Plagiarism is the use of other peoples words or ideas without proper acknowledgement. Exam boards now use software packages that are able to detect plagiarised work. If you copy another students coursework or allow your work to be copied this will be detected and may result in you losing your grade for that particular subject. The university application system also operates plagiarism checks. Your application can be rejected if it is found to have been plagiarised. Plagiarism is a very serious offence and as such is taken very seriously at College. We have a policy on plagiarism that you can read on all our networked areas. Student Council At JCC we want students to be involved in the running of our College. The student Council is made up of students elected from each

tutorial group to represent the views of all students across the College. The Student Council is encouraged to take a lead in student events, activities, fund raising and environmental issues. Students will take responsibility for their own agendas, and all Student Councillors are responsible for bringing views from and feeding back to their tutorial groups. Five students will be elected from the student body for the Student Executive Committee, two of which will be the Student Governors. The executive will meet the Principal on a half termly basis, to discuss pertinent issues. The Executive Committee members will chair the Students Council Committees. Have a successful year at Joseph Chamberlain College 29