Tutorial Policy. Head of Student Experience

Tutorial Policy

Written by: Head of Student Experience CLT Sponsor: Head of Student Experience

Consulted with: Lead Tutors and Deputy Head of Student Experience Next Review Date: May 2019

1 Purpose

1.1 Exeter College is committed to helping all learners to reach their potential; to raise their aspirations and self- esteem. We aim to equip learners for life in its broadest sense. We want learners to develop the intellectual, personal and social resources that will enable them to participate as active citizens and employees, and to flourish as individuals in a diverse and changing society. We value the role that tutoring has in supporting these aims.

1.2 The purpose of this policy is to ensure that all students – regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex or perceived sexual orientation – receive the individual pastoral and academic support they are entitled to, in order to enable them to achieve their learning goals.

1.3 This policy is supported by the personal development and tutorial framework and other related policies/procedures relevant to tutoring.

2 Definitions

2.1 Tutoring refers to the process by which all learners receive both academic and pastoral support within a generic framework of entitlement, whilst they are at the College. Tutoring is central to every learner’s experience and is fundamental to retention, achievement, progression and personal development and success.

2.2 Personal Tutor refers to the individual who oversees a student’s academic and pastoral support whilst they are at College. The Personal Tutor will monitor progress, support achievement and progression, liaise with parents/guardians, liaise with lecturing and support staff and ensure that each individual tutee is receiving the support they need to succeed.

2.3 The Personal Development Tutorial Framework refers to the overarching tutorial programme that is the College’s Scheme of Work for tutorial delivery.

3 Policy

3.1 16-19 Tutorial Entitlement

Every learner on a full time 16-19 programme will have a named Personal Tutor, who will be responsible for ensuring their progress in learning and that any identified pastoral support needs are met appropriately. This will include the monitoring of attendance, progress and progression and access to a programme of group tutorials to support personal development.

3.2 For learners on a full time 16-19 programme, the College recommends that individual 1-1 progress tutorials take place at least 5 times per academic year. This includes an initial tutorial during induction and a progression tutorial towards the end of the academic year, when destinations are recorded. It is recognised that some learners may require more intervention and this will increase the number of personal 1-1 tutorials that a student has access to.

3.3 Individual tutorials will incorporate learning conversations around the monitoring of academic progress and the identification of any support needs. All individual tutorials will be recorded on the learner’s eILP log.

3.5 Apprentices and Work Based Learning Entitlement

Learners will have access to individual tutorial support through their Skills Officers and curriculum teaching staff. These staff will signpost learners to appropriate and relevant support services across the College to enable learners to access relevant support to ensure academic progress and personal support needs are met. All referrals to support services will be recorded on the learner’s eILP.

3.6 19+ Adult Entitlement

Learners on full time or substantive courses e.g. Access, will receive tutoring as a part of their programme. All other 19+ adult learners are entitled to receive support where appropriate and as needed from their curriculum teaching staff. Adult learners will be signposted wherever appropriate and possible to internal and external services for support if needed/requested.

3.7 Tutoring and the Tutorial programme at Exeter College will continually strive to enable all learners to: o Make a smooth transition to College life, by offering a comprehensive and supportive induction

programme

o Feel safe, secure and valued

o Show tolerance and respect for others o Be responsible for their own learning

o Recognise their skills, strengths and personal qualities and support them to develop these

o Participate fully in, and benefit as much as possible from, their chosen course and the enrichment activities which are available to them (full time 16-19 learners)

o Explore their Higher Education/career and employability options and be confident about managing the transition from College to HE or employment

o Be aware of and where appropriate take up, the Student Experience and Learning Support services that are available to them

o Be healthy and have an understanding of how they can look after their own health and wellbeing o Set meaningful, challenging and aspirational targets and achievable long term goals

o Understand and comply with the Exeter College Agreement and Student Code of Conduct 3.8 Exeter College will promote excellence in tutoring by:

o Always putting the learner at the centre of the learning and tutorial process o Ensuring that all learners receive regular, timely and responsive tutorial support

o Taking a holistic view of the learner’s learning, in line with the Common Inspection Framework (2015), the Education Act 2002 and the Children Act 2004

o Supporting the learner to take ownership of their own learning

o Ensuring that all learners are fully aware of the support services available to them and encouraging them to take up support that is offered or recommended

o Signposting learners who require or ask for additional or specialist support, to an appropriate internal or external service

o Regularly reviewing and updating tutorial processes and systems to meet the needs of learners, the College, changes in legislation and national and local initiatives

o Keeping Parents/Guardians (NoK) informed of a learner’s progress and attendance and any serious conduct procedures that are instigated

4 Implementation

4.1 It is the responsibility of all personal tutors to provide their tutees with a supportive and positive tutoring experience and to support the College in striving for excellence and consistency in tutoring and the Student Experience. The Head of Student Experience will work with Faculty Heads, Faculty Management Groups, Tutorial Leads, Tutors, Senior Leadership Team and Curriculum Leadership Team to ensure that all learners receive their tutorial entitlement.

4.2 All staff who tutor must ensure that learners have access to a comprehensive Induction programme which will help them to:

o Feel safe, respected and valued in College o Settle into College life

o Confirm that they have chosen the right course for them

o Understand the academic and pastoral support available to them

o Understand what is expected of them as a learner at Exeter College and be aware of their rights and responsibilities, as formalised in the Exeter College Agreement and Student Code of Conduct o Understand the opportunities they have to ‘have their say’ through the Learner Voice programme o Be aware of the range of enrichment opportunities available to them (full time 16-19 learners) 4.3 All staff who tutor:

o Have a duty to adhere to Safeguarding legislation and Health and Safety regulations and always put the safety of learners first

o Must be trained in Child Protection and Safeguarding procedures, including the Prevent Duty and regularly update their awareness and knowledge of child protection, safeguarding and Prevent, at least annually, in line with current guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ 2016

o Must have an awareness of and alertness to, the signs of possible radicalisation and be aware of their responsibility and statutory duty under the Government’s Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015 and the Prevent Guidance 2015. They must know how to refer concerns about radicalisation, possible involvement with extremism and terrorism to the Safeguarding Team.

o Must have a knowledge and awareness of the College’s Equality and Diversity policy and ensure they are embedding and promoting British Values in to their tutorial practice

o Must be fully informed of the academic and pastoral support available to students and be responsible for monitoring the impact of these on the learner’s progress and wellbeing

o Full time 16-19 learners must have a live tutorial scheme of work which is in line with the College’s Tutorial framework. They must follow the guidance given in terms of tutorial duties which includes those that ‘Must be completed’, ‘Should be completed’ and ‘Could be completed’.

o Must be aware of the tutoring responsibilities for learners 19+, which is built in to the curriculum programme they are delivering

o Must be aware of the common inspection framework and how it relates to the tutoring role within Exeter College and to every individual learner’s entitlement

o Have a responsibility to liaise with Parents/Guardians (NoK) on attendance, achievement and progress and if required, the conduct process

o Have a responsibility to monitor attendance of their tutees and contact Parents/Guardians (NoK), where there are concerns around attendance.

o Attend Parents/Guardians (NoK) Evenings throughout the academic year to report on learners progress (full time 16-19 learners)

o Have a responsibility to keep accurate and up to date records of interactions with learners and their NoK, including 1-1 tutorials, using the learner’s eILP log.

5 Associated Documentation

E-Safety Policy

Data Protection Policy Health and Safety Policy Visiting Speakers Policy

Positive Intervention and Misconduct procedures Anti-bullying Policy

Substance Misuse Policy

Keeping Children Safe in Education (Information for all staff) 2016 Prevent Duty Guidance for FE and HE, 2015

Ofsted Common Inspection Framework, 2015

6 Monitoring, Review and Evaluation

6.1 The Personal Development Tutorial framework will be updated annually by the Head of Student Experience. 6.2 Quality assurance of tutoring practice and procedures will take place annually as part of the observation process. 6.3 Consultation will take place and feedback will be gathered through learner surveys and the Learner Voice forums

both Cross College and Faculty based.

6.4 Any complaints regarding tutoring will be dealt with by the appropriate Head of Faculty, with support if required from the Head of Student Experience.

8 Equality Analysis

Please use the ‘equality analysis procedure’ to guide you to complete the text boxes below, expanding them as you wish. If this is a review and you have made changes - please add date and make any amendments if required.

16.3.17

7.1. Is your policy equality- relevant? If yes, please list which groups of people will be affected by this policy.

If no people are affected by this policy it has no equality relevance and you should write no and you need not answer any more questions.

Students, Tutors, Tutorial Leads, Faculty management group

7.2. How have you involved people from minority groups who may be affected by this policy? Describe any

activities such as conversations, interviews, feedback.

Learner Voice feedback, Student Surveys and verbal feedback, SRC feedback, Parent feedback, Tutor and

Faculty feedback

7.3. What evidence have you considered? List any sources of data and research you have used. This can include

college or national monitoring data, surveys, reports, consultations, focus groups, pilots, evaluations.

Learner Voice feedback, Student Survey feedback, benchmarking information, OFSTED feedback, parent feedback.

7.4. How will your policy fulfil the public sector duty by helping fight discrimination, advance equality of

opportunity and foster good relations?

Characteristic

Age Policy takes into account the different needs of different age groups

Disability Policy applies to all students

Sex Policy applies to all students

Pregnancy & Maternity Policy applies to all students

Marriage and Civil Partnership Policy applies to all students

Race Policy applies to all students

Religion and belief Policy applies to all students

Sexual Orientation Policy applies to all students

Gender Reassignment Policy applies to all students

7.5. Describe any potential adverse impacts that may arise as a result of the policy. If any are identified, you

should also state what actions will be taken to mitigate that negative impact. If yes, do you need an action plan to carry this out?